Understanding the gap in emergency alerts for vulnerable people.

What is wandering and elopement?

Wandering and elopement refer to situations where a person leaves a safe environment without the knowledge or supervision of their caregiver, placing themselves at serious risk of harm.

In clinical and safety literature, these terms are often used interchangeably, though they carry slightly different meanings. Wandering typically describes aimless or disoriented movement, most commonly associated with dementia or acquired brain injuries. Elopement often describes a more purposeful departure, even if the person is unaware of the danger, and is more commonly used in the autism community.

What both have in common is the outcome: a person who cannot reliably communicate their name, location, or need for help is somewhere unknown, unable to self-rescue, and at immediate risk of injury or death.

Who is at risk?

Wandering and elopement affect a broad range of people across all ages. The common thread is a condition that impairs communication, spatial awareness, danger recognition, or the ability to self-rescue.

This is not an exhaustive list. The common risk factor is any condition that reduces a person's ability to recognize danger, communicate their situation, or return to safety without help.

The data behind the gap

Wandering and elopement are well-documented safety crises. The statistics below represent the best available published evidence as of 2026.

Why existing alerts fall short

Canada has emergency alert infrastructure that can reach every cell phone in a province within seconds. The gap is not in the technology. It is in the criteria for when that technology gets used.

The Amber Alert criteria

The Amber Alert is an exceptional tool for what it was built to do: respond to suspected child abductions. The criteria that trigger an Amber Alert in Canada generally require:

• A child 18 years of age or under is missing;
• Police believe the child's life is in danger; and
• There is reason to believe the child has been abducted.

The third criterion is the gap. A non-verbal autistic child who wanders from a day home, or a senior with dementia who walks away from their care facility, does not meet it. There is no suspect. There is no evidence of abduction. And so, under the current system, no broadcast-level alert goes out.

The Silver Alert in Alberta

Alberta created a Silver Alert program in 2017 specifically to address the gap for seniors with dementia and other vulnerable adults. On paper, this was exactly the right idea. In practice, the Alberta Emergency Alert archive shows zero Silver Alerts issued at the broadcast level since the program's creation. The legislation exists. The awareness does not. This is both a warning for future alert programs and evidence that legislation alone is not enough, which is why this campaign is focused on implementation, training, and public awareness alongside policy change.

How an Indigo Alert would work

An Indigo Alert would be a new tier in Canada's public alerting system, activated alongside but separately from Amber Alert, using the existing Alert Ready / Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) infrastructure that already reaches every compatible cell phone in a province.

The proposed trigger criteria share Amber Alert's discipline: narrow and specific, to prevent alert fatigue and preserve public trust. A preliminary framework might include:

• The missing person has a documented condition that impairs their ability to communicate, recognize danger, or self-rescue (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, dementia, Down syndrome, acquired brain injury);
• Law enforcement has confirmed the person is missing and determined there is immediate risk of serious harm; and
• There is no evidence of abduction (which would trigger Amber Alert instead).

How Alert Ready delivers alerts

Alert Ready is Canada's national public alerting system, operated by Pelmorex Media and coordinating authorities at the federal, provincial, and territorial level. When a broadcast-level alert is issued in a province, it is distributed simultaneously via:

• Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA): A direct cell broadcast message to compatible devices in the target area. This does not require any app or opt-in. It interrupts the phone with an audible tone.
• Radio and television broadcast interruption: All broadcasters in the covered area are required to carry the alert.
• Cable and satellite TV interruption.

Because alert authority rests with individual provinces and territories under their own emergency management legislation, each province must adopt Indigo Alert criteria independently. The federal government can convene, fund, and encourage, but it cannot create a national alert category by itself. This is why the campaign focuses province by province.

What families can do right now

While the policy work continues, there are concrete steps families can take today to reduce risk and improve outcomes if a vulnerable person goes missing. These are not a substitute for a better alert system. They are what families are left doing in its absence.

1. Register with the RCMP Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR)

   The RCMP's VPR is a confidential database that gives first responders immediate access to photos, physical descriptions, communication abilities, known locations of interest, and caregiver contact information when a registered person is reported missing. Registration is free and voluntary. Contact your local RCMP detachment or police service to register. Urban police forces (e.g., Calgary Police Service, Edmonton Police Service) have their own equivalent programs.

2. Enroll in MedicAlert's SafetyNet program

   MedicAlert Foundation Canada's SafetyNet program connects vulnerable individuals with a 24/7 emergency response service. If someone is found by a member of the public or a first responder, the ID on the SafetyNet bracelet connects them immediately to your caregiver network and medical profile. This is especially critical for non-verbal individuals.

3. Install door and window sensors

   Simple smart home sensors on exterior doors and ground-floor windows alert caregivers immediately when a door is opened. Many are inexpensive and compatible with standard smart home systems. Door alarms with audible tones can also deter or slow elopement long enough for a caregiver to respond.

4. Consider GPS tracking

   Wearable GPS devices designed for people with autism or dementia allow real-time location monitoring and geofencing, where the device sends an alert if the person leaves a designated area. Options include dedicated devices (AngelSense, Jiobit, Apple AirTag-based solutions) and specialized medical GPS watches. Ask your provincial autism or Alzheimer society if any subsidy programs exist in your province.

5. Brief your neighbours and community

   Let immediate neighbours know about your family member's condition, appearance, and any known areas they may walk toward. A community that knows what to look for is a faster response network than any single technology. Share a recent photo, the person's name if they can respond to it, and a caregiver contact number.

6. Create a "go bag" for a missing-person response

   Prepare in advance: a current photo (updated at least annually), written physical description, list of known locations of interest (favourite park, a specific store, a body of water), list of sensory triggers and calming techniques, and all caregiver contact numbers. When time matters, having this ready to hand to police saves critical minutes.

7. Know water locations near your home

   Given that drowning is the leading cause of wandering-related fatalities, identify every body of water within a kilometre of your home: ponds, retention basins, rivers, ditches, and storm drain systems. Communicate these to first responders immediately if your family member goes missing, and ask police to prioritize those locations. If safe to do so, search them yourself while waiting for police.

For first responders and community members

If you encounter someone who appears disoriented, non-responsive to questions, or unsafe near traffic or water, here is what to know.

"The danger existed from the moment Parker went missing. The system just didn't have a way to tell anyone." Summary of the case that started this campaign, as reflected in federal opposition correspondence, August 2026.

Sources used on this page

Indigo Alert Canada is committed to accuracy. All statistics and claims on this page are sourced from published research or primary records. We correct our materials when better evidence is available.

See an error? Have a better source? Email us at hello@indigoalertcanada.com and we will review and correct promptly.