swedeheart
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Senate Bill 289 will introduce a statewide Green Alert plan that will work almost exactly as the Silver and Amber alerts, but for veterans.
"The Green Alert plan would create a plan of action similar to an Amber Alert or Silver Alert which we have here in the state of West Virginia," said Sen. Ryan Weld, of Brooke County. "But it would be for a veteran or current military member who is known to suffer from some mental or emotional behavioral issues and has gone missing."
"I think it's important because we have such a high concentration of veterans in this state and the numbers, for example, on veteran suicide are really alarming," said Sen. Stephen Baldwin, of Greenbrier County.
Just like an Amber or Silver Alert, if an at-risk veteran went missing, the Green Alert would get information out to the public quicker and help law enforcement create a plan on how to deal with the situation.
"You see the signs on the highways, the electronic signs, that can be changed – lookout for this vehicle," Weld told WSAZ. "Same exact thing, the things that we see in place now for those programs would be put into place for the green alert programs."
The bill says the Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety will establish the plan and authorize the media to alert the public when an at-risk veteran goes missing.
Wisconsin was the first state to have a Green Alert system and West Virginia would be the second, if implemented.
The bill is up for a second reading in the Senate on Friday.
Bill proposes new 'Green Alert' system for veterans
cannot love this idea more. excellent.