Police and other Emergency Response Agencies - please complete this online submission form and contact the Vermont Emergency Management Watch Officer for assistance in issuing a Missing Vulnerable Persons Alert
Program Guidelines
Missing Vulnerable Persons Alerts are intended to aid and assist Vermont police and other emergency response agencies in swiftly locating missing vulnerable persons by providing information to the public.
A Missing Vulnerable Person is not every missing person reported in the State of Vermont, only those that meet the following definition:
Missing Vulnerable Person: A person whose whereabouts are unknown, who is unable to protect themselves from significant harm and is believed to be in danger of death or serious bodily injury due to an inability to be located safely or an inability to return to safety without assistance.
The following requirements need to be completed before a Law Enforcement agency in Vermont can request a Missing Vulnerable Persons Alert:
- Missing person meets the definition of a Missing Vulnerable Person
- A report has been made to a Vermont law enforcement agency responsible for the area in which they are reported missing from
- Person(s) have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC)
- The Vermont State Police have been notified a request has been made
- Business hours: appropriate (nearest) Barracks Commander
- After-hours: Appropriate VSP Watch Commander
Criteria for a Missing Vulnerable Persons Alert via VT-Alert to Reverse landline dialing and the Wireless Emergency Alert System:
- Missing vulnerable person has been missing for 24-hours or less; and
- Missing vulnerable person is believed or known to be on foot; and
- There is sufficient information available to disseminate that could assist in locating the missing vulnerable person (i.e., physical description, clothing description, last known location, etc.); and
- The search for the missing vulnerable person has been initiated and is still being conducted
- Requests for an alert to be issued via the Wireless Emergency Alert system and reverse landline dialing will only be issued during the hours of 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Criteria for a Missing Vulnerable Persons Alert via VT-Alert to opt-in subscribers:
- Missing vulnerable person has been missing for 72-hours or less; and
- There is sufficient information available to disseminate that could assist in locating the missing vulnerable person (i.e., physical description, clothing description, last known location, etc.)
Once a Law Enforcement Agency has completed the following requirements and verified the criteria have been met, contact the Vermont Emergency Management Watch Officer by calling 800-347-0488 AND complete the request form.
You Can Help
- Sign up for Vermont Alert, to receive Missing Vulnerable Persons Alerts, as well as any other emergency notifications you would like.
- Like the Vermont Missing Person Facebook page
- Wireless Emergency Alerts - Confirm with your mobile device carrier to see if Wireless Emergency Alerts are available in your area and your device can receive the alerts.