Burns Carroll County Sheriff Tony Burns does not want to use the newest program introduced by his department, however he fully supports the concept. "A Child Is Missing Alert" program was activated last week as a collaborative effort between Burn's department and the Delphi and Flora police departments.

Burns said the not-forprofit program based in Florida is a telephone alert system with few restrictions.

"It's just a great way for us to be ready when it's needed," he said.

He explained county prosecutor Tricia Thompson learned about the service while at a recent prosecutor's conference and shared the information with him when she returned. He said a police officer calls the program and makes a report to sound the alert.

"If law enforcement thinks there's a need for an alert there will be one," he said.

Types of cases handled are missing children, elderly, college students on campus, mentally challenged, the disabled and unconscious individuals without identification. He said notification of law enforcement initiates the service.

When an officer is called and determines a person could be missing, descriptive information will be telephoned to ACIM headquarters in Florida. The service uses a global satellite system to determine a range of area codes to be notified. A recorded message will be sent telephonically to all people with published numbers in the vicinity where the victim was last seen. The message will contain pertinent information about the missing person such as description, clothes worn and time and location last seen.

According to the organization's brochure, those with unpublished numbers, cellular numbers or on "do not call" databases can add their number to the list of potential callers by going to the Web site at www.achildismissing. org, click on the link to add a phone number. No other entity has access to the ACIM database.

The service can place up to 1,000 calls in 60 seconds and there is a 98 percent listen rate by residents and businesses answering telephones. The service will leave a message on answering machines and operates 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

Law enforcement needs no additional equipment, extra phone lines or additional personnel to utilize the ACIM program. It is offered free to law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.

ACIM is financially supported by federal and state appropriations, private and corporate donations, sponsorships, grants and law enforcement forfeiture funds.

"We need more eyes and ears out there," Burns concluded. "This system gives us just exactly that."