Summary:
- Red Roof is partnering with NCMEC to support child safety through AMBER Alerts.
- AMBER Alerts will reach the company’s properties via HotelKey.
- All properties and corporate staff must complete human trafficking prevention training.
RED ROOF WILL work with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to support child safety through the AMBER Alert Secondary Distribution Network. Its properties will receive AMBER Alerts via HotelKey, the company’s management system, notifying the public of missing children nearby.
The AMBER Alert program is a voluntary partnership of law enforcement, broadcasters and transportation agencies that issues urgent bulletins in serious child abduction cases, Red Roof said in a statement. Its goal is to involve the public in locating and recovering the child.
“Through Red Roof’s agreement with NCMEC, AMBER Alerts are sent directly to the HotelKey system, with notifications configured for front desk managers and guest service representatives — employees who interact most with guests and can best assist in identifying an abducted child,” said Zack Gharib, Red Roof’s president. “Every child deserves to be safe and Red Roof will use its resources to assist in recovering missing children and returning them home.”
Red Roof requires all properties and corporate team members to complete human trafficking prevention training, the statement said. The company also supports the American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation’s No Room For Trafficking initiative, which prevents human trafficking and supports survivors.
John Bischoff, NCMEC’s vice president of the Missing Children Division, said each new partner expands the reach of an AMBER Alert and increases the chance of recovering a child.
“We are excited to welcome Red Roof to the AMBER Alert Secondary Distribution Network, as the hospitality industry plays a critical role in locating abducted children,” he said. “More than 300 children in AMBER Alerts have been found at hotels or motels and sharing timely details with frontline staff at Red Roof locations strengthens the AMBER Alert network nationwide. We are grateful to Red Roof and HotelKey for committing resources to help recover missing children.”
January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, which shares a goal with AMBER Alerts — informing the public on how to identify and report signs of exploitation or abduction to law enforcement, the statement said. Red Roof team members at more than 700 properties participated in #WearBlueDay on Jan. 11 to raise awareness of human trafficking and support No Room For Trafficking.
In June, Gharib told Asian Hospitality that the company is focusing on strategic investments in staff and technology to advance the brand amid changing challenges.
