ACT police have used the national emergency alert SMS system for the first time, helping find a missing person.
A 77-year-old woman's family reported her missing on Tuesday afternoon, after a search of the surrounding area failed to locate her.
With concerns for her welfare growing, police issued a geo-located SMS emergency alert to more than 60,000 mobile phones in the Woden area about 10.15pm.
The missing woman was found shortly before 11pm in bushland in the Mount Taylor Nature Reserve near Chifley.
The member of the public who found her lived nearby and checked outside after receiving the alert.
The system was introduced in 2009 and is sent out via 0444 444 444, which identifies it as a genuine warning.
It is a so-called "one-way" service and previously has been used mainly by the Emergency Services Agency for bushfires notifications, but also covers floods, extreme weather warnings and chemical incidents.
ACT Policing linked to the national system so that it could be used for high-risk missing persons, terrorist incidents, active offender incidents, or an Amber Alert for a child abduction or high-risk missing child.
Police have asked not to report information to the number, but to report information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, the assistance line on 131 444 or to call Triple Zero (000) in an emergency.
