AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared Jan. 13 as AMBER Alert Awareness Day.

The AMBER alert system, which stand for “America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response” is named after Amber Hagerman, who was abducted in Arlington, Texas in 1996. She was later found murdered.

“The state’s AMBER Alert program is an important tool to engage the public in supporting law enforcement efforts to locate and bring home missing children,” DPS Director Steven McCraw said. “The vigilance and efforts of law enforcement, our partner agencies, and the people of Texas are vital in protecting our most vulnerable population – our children. We thank our public and private sector partners and the media for helping distribute this critical information.”

In response to Hagerman’s death, law enforcement in the Dallas-Fort Worth area created the first AMBER Alert program. The program is now used in all 50 states. AMBER Alerts are broadcast through radio, television, road signs, cell phones and other media sources asking the public to be on the lookout for abducted children.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 910 children have been recovered through the AMBER alert system.