CODE BLUE
The Code Blue: Missing Child Email Alert System was conceived in late 2003, as a direct response to the questions posed to us by our clients. We were consistently being asked "why an AMBER Alert had not been issued for a missing child."
Since its inception, Code Blue Alert has been evolving, with a rather healthy overhaul in design during mid-2004. MCM has been joined by new volunteers from the University of Minnesota and the Illinois Institute of Technology, as well as the Department of Energy's national laboratories. These new volunteers have been helping us improve on the methodology beneath Code Blue Alert, minimizing the original plan's potential to fatigue participants through sheer volume of email messages. It is the MCM's desire to encourage active participation in protecting and locating children and as such, we have maintained a focus on responsible use of participant's email addresses and other contact information. While being careful of email volume, the early model for Code Blue still made it possible to send more than a desireable number of messages to participants (which is why Code Blue is dormant at the moment). As the new model design is implemented and tested, new contact options will be made available, and will be geographically triggered over time, so that only the most likely participants will be notified as the alert about a child ages. As time passes, a growing band of participants will be notified as the possibility of a child arriving in their area increases. As more time passes, additional agencies and states will be notified as well.
The new model also includes options for browser RRS feed notification, so that Code Blue can be subscribed to, with notification options easily changed on-the-fly. The new model includes the ability to send an alert via text messages to a participant's cell phone or pager as well as email.
These new changes are intended to make participation stremlined and effective. These new changes will take some months to be implemented, but will improve operations and encourage participation.
If you have more questions about Code Blue, please feel free to contact the MCM staff and you will be put in touch with the Code Blue development staff. We are open to suggestions, comments, and advice.
Thanks,
MCM Development Staff
