A statewide test of the Maile Amber Alert system is scheduled for 11:45 this morning. The system is designed to notify the public when a child has been abducted and to solicit help in locating the child and abductor.

The test will use the Civil Defense Emergency Alert system and will originate from the Big Island's police department. The biannual test is being conducted to ensure that equipment and procedures on each island are working properly.

The system involves a voluntary partnership between the four county police departments, state Civil Defense, Department of Transportation, Department of the Attorney General's Missing Child Center-Hawai'i and local broadcasters.

Maile Amber Alert represents "minor abducted in life-threatening emergency" and "America's missing broadcast emergency response," and is named in memory of 6-year-old Maile Gilbert of Kailua and 9-year-old Amber Hagerman of Arlington, Texas. Today is the 21st anniversary of Maile's death after being abducted.

For a Maile Amber Alert to be issued in Hawai'i, the victim must be 17 years or younger and believed to be in a life-threatening situation.

Charlene Takeno, coordinator of Missing Child Center-Hawai'i, said a Maile Amber Alert has been activated only once. In June 2005, a man stole a pickup truck with a 4-month-old girl inside. The truck was found with the girl safe. No arrest has been made in that case.

Wireless alerts also are available nationwide at no cost to all wireless subscribers capable of receiving text messages through carriers participating in the Wireless Amber Alert program.

For more information, call Missing Child Center-Hawai'i at (808) 586-1449 or the center's hot line at (808) 753-9797.