Missing Adult
History
Senate Bill 87 changed section 5502.522 of the Revised Code to create the
statewide emergency alert program to aid in the identification and location of
missing adults who are endangered and have a mental impairment or are
65 years of age or older. The bill also established activation criteria
for the implementation of the program.
The Missing Adult Alert was developed in response to several incidents across the country,
and in Ohio, involving older adults or adults with mental impairments that become missing.
Although local agencies and media outlets have typically worked together in these incidents,
there was no coordinated effort or resource center to ensure a widespread
alert was issued to garner the public's assistance in the search.
The new Missing Adult Alert, patterned after portions of the AMBER Alert and Missing Child Alert, is
designed to coordinate the information to the media and public in a timely manner.
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