The "Amber Alert" is named in memory of Amber Rene Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas, in January 1996. The alert system was created as a response to her tragic case to quickly disseminate information to the public when a child is abducted and believed to be in imminent danger. The name "AMBER" also stands for "America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response," reflecting the program's purpose as an emergency broadcasting system to help recover missing children.