In this episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with veteran alerting leader Carri Gordon to break down the evolution, effectiveness, and future of missing persons alerts.

With nearly 35 years of experience in emergency communications and public safety, Carri shares her journey from early dispatch operations—long before modern alerting systems—to leading statewide alert programs and now serving as a national subject matter expert on the Ashanti Alert initiative.

This episode dives deep into:

• How AMBER Alerts evolved from manual processes to real-time notifications
• The critical role of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) in saving lives
• Why actionable information matters more than awareness alone
• The truth about alert criteria, delays, and decision-making
• How the Ashanti Alert Act is transforming missing adult alerting nationwide
• Lessons learned from real cases—both successful recoveries and tragic outcomes
• Why the public should never disable emergency alerts on their phones

You’ll also hear firsthand stories of alerts leading to recoveries within minutes—and the hard lessons that reshaped how alerting authorities operate today.

Whether you’re in emergency management, law enforcement, public safety communications, or simply want to understand how these systems protect communities, this episode provides expert insight into the science, strategy, and human impact behind every alert.

🎙️ Sponsored by Everbridge

This episode is proudly sponsored by Everbridge, a global leader in critical event management (CEM). Trusted by over 6,500 organizations worldwide, Everbridge helps governments and enterprises anticipate, respond to, and recover from critical events using powerful, AI-driven alerting and resilience solutions.