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COLUMBUS__The Ohio AMBER Alert Advisory Committee has announced a recent change to how the public will receive notifications when Ohio’s AMBER Alert system is activated. Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs)--emergency messages that are broadcast to enabled mobile devices--are now capable of transmitting 360-character text messages in addition to the traditional 90-character text messages. This change is due to increased technology by both wireless carriers and wireless device manufacturers.

Traditional 90-character messages are limited to including basic vehicle information and notification for device users to check local media outlets for additional details. The increase in characters allows public safety officials to provide more in-depth details on the suspect(s), victim(s), vehicle(s), and other urgent information when an AMBER Alert is activated. Furthermore, the changes enable a URL that redirects the device user to Ohio’s AMBER Alert website or other social media for additional information. Once redirected, the user will be able to see all information regarding the AMBER Alert as well as any available photos.

Joanna M. Pinkerton, PE, BSCE ’98, president and CEO of Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), will serve as the keynote speaker for Ohio Northern University T.J. Smull College of Engineering’s 2024 Spotts Lecture. The free, public event will take place Monday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Freed Center for the Performing Arts.

Pinkerton’s presentation is titled, “Who Are You Engineering For?”

COTA is a regional mobility organization providing services to Columbus and Central Ohio. With a service area covering 562 square miles across five counties serving 1.4 million residents, COTA employs more than 1,000 team members and provided more than 19 million passenger trips in 2019. Since joining COTA in April 2018, Pinkerton has focused on organizational transformation— delivering innovative mobility solutions in response to a rapidly growing community and changing customer preferences, as well as addressing equity issues with both the physical and digital mobility needs of many residents.