Petition to the Government of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Department of Justice, Emergency Management Office, and Law Enforcement Agencies.

Create an Emergency Vulnerable Persons Alert System in Nova Scotia

We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Nova Scotia to establish and implement an Emergency Vulnerable Persons Alert System for missing individuals who do not meet the strict criteria for an Amber Alert, but whose disappearance still presents an immediate and serious risk to their safety.

Across Nova Scotia, families and communities are experiencing devastating delays in public awareness when vulnerable people go missing. While Amber Alerts are an important emergency tool, many urgent cases involving vulnerable children, youth, adults, seniors, and at-risk individuals do not qualify under current criteria — leaving families to rely on social media, volunteers, and grassroots advocacy during the most critical early hours.

The disappearance of Lilly and Jack Sullivan has profoundly affected families, loved ones, and communities across Nova Scotia and beyond. Their names reached thousands through community-driven awareness efforts, but many believe an official emergency alert system could have significantly strengthened those efforts in the earliest and most crucial moments.

From the perspective of loved ones, the first hours after a vulnerable person goes missing are filled with fear, urgency, helplessness, and uncertainty. Families are left desperately hoping someone saw something, noticed something unusual, or crossed paths with their loved one before it was too late.

An Emergency Vulnerable Persons Alert could have:

• Immediately placed Lilly and Jack’s names, descriptions, and photos into the hands of millions of people across Nova Scotia and neighboring provinces
• Increased visibility at a time when public awareness is most critical
• Encouraged potential witnesses to come forward sooner
• Alerted travelers, transportation workers, border staff, and the general public to remain vigilant
• Expanded the search beyond social media algorithms and local news reach
• Helped generate real-time sightings or tips while memories and surveillance opportunities were still fresh
• Created a faster and more coordinated province-wide response

Loved ones often carry the painful burden of wondering whether broader awareness in those early moments could have changed the outcome. Families should never feel alone in mobilizing urgent public attention for vulnerable missing persons.

Every missing vulnerable person deserves immediate visibility, urgency, and coordinated public response — not only those who meet the narrow threshold of an Amber Alert.

This Alert System Should Include:

• Emergency cellphone alerts when a vulnerable person is believed to be at immediate risk
• Highway and public transit alert notifications
• Rapid media and social media distribution
• Coordinated communication between police, emergency management, and the public
  Province-wide activation standards to ensure consistency and urgency

Emergency Response Measures Should Also Include:
When an Emergency Vulnerable Persons Alert is activated, immediate assessment and monitoring measures should also be triggered at:

• Provincial and interprovincial border crossings
• Airports and private airfields
• Ferry terminals and ports
• Bus terminals and train stations
• Major highways and transportation corridors
• Other high-traffic transportation areas

This coordinated response could assist authorities in monitoring incoming and outgoing travel activity, identifying possible sightings, and preserving critical time-sensitive information during the earliest stages of a disappearance.

The System Should Support Cases Involving:

• Missing children who do not meet Amber Alert requirements
• Seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s
• Individuals with developmental disabilities or cognitive impairments
• Persons experiencing mental health crises
• Victims of exploitation, trafficking, or violence
• Indigenous persons and other vulnerable community members

Any vulnerable person believed to be in danger

Why Nova Scotia Needs This
Nova Scotia communities consistently come together in times of crisis. Families should not have to plead for public awareness while searching for a missing vulnerable loved one.

An Emergency Vulnerable Persons Alert System would help:

• Increase immediate public awareness
• Mobilize communities faster
• Improve search outcomes
• Strengthen transportation and border awareness
• Support families during emergencies
• Potentially save lives

Amber Alerts are limited by very specific criteria. This proposed system would fill the critical gap between a standard missing persons report and an Amber Alert.

We Therefore Petition the Government of Nova Scotia To:

1. Develop and implement a province-wide Emergency Vulnerable Persons Alert System
2. Include coordinated transportation, border, and travel monitoring procedures during active alerts
3. Work alongside law enforcement, advocacy groups, Indigenous leaders, and community organizations
4. Ensure alerts can be activated rapidly when credible concerns for safety exist
5. Prioritize the protection of vulnerable people across Nova Scotia communities.