The Alberta government is reviewing the province's emergency alert system following the death of 11-year-old Parker Wells, including whether changes are needed when vulnerable people go missing.Public Safety and Emergency Services announced Monday it will consult law enforcement agencies, disability advocates and community organizations as it examines how emergency alerts are issued for missing vulnerable people.The review will include Alberta's Amber Alert system and the criteria currently required before an alert can be issued.The province said the consultations are intended to identify potential improvements to existing emergency alert processes following Wells' death."Parker's death is a heartbreaking tragedy, and our thoughts remain with his family and everyone who knew and loved him," Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis said."We want to make sure we learn from what happened. By listening to law enforcement, disability advocates and community partners, we can better understand how emergency alerts are working today and what options should be considered for the future.".Assisted Living and Social Services will separately review the policies, procedures and protocols of the service provider responsible for Wells' care when he went missing.The government said it will examine the circumstances surrounding the case and consider recommendations resulting from that review."My deepest condolences go to the Wells family, their friends and everyone affected by this heartbreaking loss," Assisted Living and Social Services Minister Nathan Neudorf said."We will carefully review what happened and consider all recommendations to strengthen protections for vulnerable children."The provincial reviews will coincide with an operational and investigative review by the Calgary Police Service into the response to Wells' disappearance.Police-issued emergency alerts in Alberta are distributed through the Alberta Emergency Alert system when an incident meets established criteria.The system operates under a memorandum of understanding between Public Safety and Emergency Services, the RCMP and municipal and First Nation police services.Alberta police agencies currently have access to Amber Alerts and civil emergency alerts when the required activation criteria are met.The government has not announced a timeline for completing its reviews or said what specific changes to the Amber Alert criteria could be considered.
