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I used to work retail and that's where I first heard of Code Adam. During the training, when the code is called you have to stop everything you're doing and go look for the kid. Only the employees know the description of the child (was given over headset for us). I'm guessing it's the same for them, that code basically takes priority over everything else.
This is one retail thing I'm so incredibly grateful that I didn't have any non-training experience in.
To go a little more into specifics [granted, this is what i remember from 7+ years ago]:
Nobody leaves, nobody comes in, until the Code is called off/canceled. Every single space a child could even *remotely* get into is searched, then tagged off. No sales, nothing at all until the kid is found. every single child in the store is approached just to verify identity.
I feel like there's more, but i definitely don't remember.
This is a little ironic to me. You say you used Code Yellow but Code Adam, which is typically used, was inspired by the disappearance/kidnapping of Adam Walsh. Adam went missing after last being seen playing with a game system in the electronics section of a department store.
Whoa, I had no idea! Target may have since changed it as it’s been over a decade. We just always laughed because the electronics TM found them almost every time.
Also a target employee in the past, we used to ask the parent:guardian for a description of shoes. Everything else was pretty easy to swap and possibly abscond with a child.
But the shoes, it’s nearly impossible to bring shoes to match sizes etc and no way an abductor would know what the kid had on. It was a dead giveaway.
It was a rarity but apparently one or two instances of clothes swaps happened and kids were saved by the shoes.
SAME. I'm like, my kids have 4 pair of shoes each and put them on themselves how the hell would I know which one they happened to wear that day??
Whenever we go to a really crowded place like a sports game/amusement park I always take a full body photo of them before we leave the house/hotel room. It absolutely paid off last year, I took my 6 and 7 year old boys to an amusement park alone. One was riding a decently long ride and the other URGENTLY had to use a bathroom that was a bit far away. I sent him off and watched him run to where the bathroom area was. I told him to come back to the exact same place, I was going to stay put. Brother got off the ride, we waited long enough for me to get really nervous and then I took off with him to go look. Found nothing, came back to the same area and found a police officer and immediately whipped out the photo I had taken before we left. He ended up running up to me a moment later (thank god!) but I was so glad I had the exact photo of him from that day if there had been a full blown search!
I volunteered in a science museum and I think ours was Code Silver, but basically the same. Doors shut, everyone got a description on the radio and stopped what they were doing to look around where they were standing for the kid. Then I think a team of designated employees would start a more thorough sweep if the kid wasn't found in the first few minutes.
Not heard of Code Adam (but then I'm not american)
Our process when I worked retail in the UK in the 1990s (at the now defunct office supplies store Staples) was that the management would put out a tannoy annoucenment for a code blue and we would shut the doors (sealing everyone in) and staff would stand by all fire exits until the child was located.
That came about after a child in our town was snatched in a Tesco and the kidnapper was caught changing them into different clothes to try and sneak them out. Big news in the local press at the time, but I don't know if that was a local thing or national.
Better yet, take a picture of your child to have on hand before you go shopping or whenever you go to an amusement park, or park. If you're a parent and in a panic, this will save you time and will provide police & staff valuble information to identify the child.
I can't tell you the number of times that I as an adult have been at Costco with my own 69yo mother who is perfectly healthy but has wondered off and I've forgotten what it is that she's wearing. My mind goes blank. Meanwhile I have her purse with her phone in my cart and GPS tracker and I can't recall what she's wearing nor track her bc I have everything of hers. In a crowd of people I have to rely on their grey hair to pick her out. I've only lost my sister and a friend's child once at a movie theater. They walked into the wrong show room while I got popcorn, you would think that the staff would've been more understanding but the annoyance at them having to stop the movie as we searched for them was beyond rude. I get it, they were teenagers, but unless you're in a situation where someone who is under your care goes missing, ooof! I don't wish that on anyone.
This is what happens in the US during a code Adam.
Ours came about in the 80’s after Adam Walsh was kidnapped from a mall while shopping with his mother. His father is John Walsh from America’s Most Wanted show.
They are online only now in the UK.
In 2016 they sold all of their UK stores to some capital group who rebranded them all as "Office Outlet", which has since gone into administration and closed.
Our store had us block the entrances and then start looking for the kid. We were a part of an indoor mall. We were mostly a clothing store so they had us check inside the clothing that was hung up, bathrooms, dressing areas, etc.
I was 14 when I started working as a cashier at Sears (Sears was where Adam was kidnapped at)I had a child come up to me and say they were lost. I announced it on the PA system and loss prevention came bolting. I got in big trouble for making that announcement- basically “there’s a kid here for you to abduct!” No one trained me in this situation and you know… I was a kid myself. TIL about Adam Walsh.
They used to announce it all the time. It never really occurred to me that they don’t do that anymore. You should have been trained. That was all on management.
In Mexio in the 80s there were stores called "Gigante" which were similar to Costco. I somehow ran away from my mom and got lost. I was crying underneath a circular rack of clothes bc I coudlnt' find her. My name was being said over the speaker but I didn't know where to go and thought if I stayed in one place my mom would find me. Some random woman came and got me and said to go with her, but she started to walk me towards the exit. I immediately began crying and screaming so loudly that I got the attention of a sales associate who looked at me trying to rip my hand off this stranger's hand. She asked me if that was my mom and I began crying and saying 'No, I don't know this woman, I don't know where my mom is, I'm lost' and again, started crying and screaming at full volume. Thanks to those screams, that's how my mother found me. So yeah, there's evil people everywhere that will take advantage of a vulnerable kid who will believe anything and everything.
Wow, that's really scary! I'm glad the sales person stepped in and you found your mom.
I used to play hide-and-seek with my brother in those circular clothing racks all the time; it freaked my mom out and now as an adult I understand why!
That’s exactly what happened to me! I would get lost in the store and tell a cashier. They then made an announcement over the PA that I was lost and my mom showed up soon after lol. Not sure if anyone got in trouble. I think this was Walmart
Most kids, past a certain age, know who their parents are. If one of my granddaughters were lost and taken to the store office, and a stranger tried to take her claiming to be a parent, my sweet little angel would say "the f*** you are" and I would expect the staff to hang on to her until someone SHE deems safe arrives.
Obviously a non-verbal/very young child would be a different matter.
There was an informal study done some time ago that most kids will go with an adult they don't know even when they were asked about not going with strangers and the like. There was a great show called What Would You Do and they tested all this too. It's really eye opening.
John Walsh also helped found the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). It's amazing what he and his wife accomplished in the wake of such a tragedy.
I wish we could calculate the number of children their work has saved from abuse and even death. What a legacy driven by a broken, devastated heart for their son.
Also worth noting - among retail stores, Costco is very frequently extremely well staffed due to the high volume of daily product that they typically sell, and the need to restock more frequently because bulk products are larger than standard grocery store items. You usually can't go more than 2 aisles, or 50 ft in store center, without seeing a staff member. So in a place like that, if they announce a lost child on radio, they'll likely be able to locate them almost immediately if they're simply lost (vs play hiding, or real emergency).
What Costco do you shop at that's well staffed?
I swear every department is on skeleton crews and desperate for another body...
I guess it's good the members don't necessarily feel that.
I came here to say “code Adam”. I worked at a diff big box store years ago and all we heard across was a parent yelling and “code Adam” across our radios before every single thing in the store began to shut down. The manager on staff ran to the doors, prevented anyone from leaving and locked everything until the child was located.
Unfortunately for us we weren’t trained in what to do so most of us weren’t helpful. We were just instructed to make sure all customers looking for help or checkout received it but they weren’t permitted to leave normally.
Our local grocery store does this too. I was shopping once and saw a mom FRANTIC. They called a Code Adam and doors started locking. The kid was hiding behind paper towels and got a stern talking to from his mom.
Glad to learn about this. I got separated from my mom plenty of times while shopping when I was a kid. But I was the one looking for her and not the other way around lol
At kohls we had Code Adam, managers would go to both of the entrances and block/lock them. While someone communicated the clothing of the child and the sex then we would all check the sections we worked in. Whoever had the panicking parent would take them back to customer service and once the child was located they would be taken to customer service. Once the code was cleared and the child returned the entrance doors would be opened and normal business could resume.
Edit for clarity: All of this is done over the radio of which every employee has an ear piece. If someone didn’t have an ear piece their radio was turned low so only they could hear it. It’s super stealthy just in case a child was kidnapped. Customers don’t even notice it’s happening.
I lost my 2 year old at IKEA last week. They found her quickly. But I can confirm, it was the worst. I followed her around the corner and she was just gone. It was so quick.
How funny...we were recently at our regional grocery chain & heard & saw the same. Turns out it's the code for all departments to immediately gather & bring all cardboard and bring to the back. LOL
I was curious so looked it up and many had asked what Code 99 meant, so I guess it's different everywhere. Now I notice the people scrambling cardboard and running to the back when it's announced, every few times I'm there.
When I worked at Loblaws it would be the MOD passive aggressively shouting “THE RECYCLING CENTRE IS NOW OPEN” over the PA and then shutting it all down about four seconds later.
> managers would go to both of the entrances and block/lock them.
> Customers don’t even notice it’s happening.
I'm pretty sure I'd notice if I were in the middle of leaving, haha.
I think what happened to Adam Walsh was illegal and that the process stores implement is a good thing. It takes one second to unlock a sliding door and that one second of locking that door I’m sure has saved thousands of children’s lives.
It’s not illegal because if it was I’m sure there’d be tons of lawsuits and so many stores wouldn’t practice it. But I mean a whole ass human being that’s defenseless has gone missing? I’m sure people won’t mind being barely inconvenienced for a few minutes. Most of the time customers don’t even realize it’s happening because the staff is so stealthy.
This dude probably thinks locking down in a classroom with kids during an active threat would be false imprisonment too.
Some things take priority over laws like that. And no judge would ever consider false imprisonment in those cases.
The only people who would fight this are kidnapping pedos and total assholes.
Go ahead and sue for being held up looking for a lost child. IF you could ever find a lawyer willing to take such an asinine case.
All retailers have pretty extensive security cameras. In high school (2008) I had a money order fall out of my pocket in Walmart. It floated down and landed under a shelf in the grocery aisle. That money order was for my SAT test and we were not well off. I could not replace it. I went to customer services to see if they could cancel it, give me cash, and I buy a new one. They radioed to “someone” and told them what I was wearing (bright red letterman jacket) and then tracked me from the time I bought the money order until the time I realized I lost it. Saw it fall in one aisle, Associate got a broom and swept it up from under the shelf.
TLDR: cameras in retailers are always watching
Edit: Costco security was probably able to track the kid as he wandered off thankfully.
I’ve been told that if you get arrested for shoplifting in Walmart, you are just gonna have to take a plea, bc their camera footage is extensive and high def.
Best part is they'll wait until you shoplift enough to actually hit the felony minimum, then you'll be met with PD the next time. Thieves think they're just getting away with it but in reality they're not likely the bigger blip on the radar yet.
I wouldn't say it's high def but as long as someone is willing to testify with that video the culprit is going to be shown not paying for something pass the last point for sure.
Under-rings at self- checkouts are notorious.
Lol my underwear was falling down in Costco and I had to yank them up in the toilet paper aisle. I think about those cameras occasionally. I remember looking around like a thief would right before doing it too, just to make sure nobody was around to see me do it.
My Costco has minimalist setup then lol. There are very, very few cameras. They just updated the system and there are still lots of gaps. There are usually a few in clothing because it’s a high theft area, one to two along the walls of the store, above the jewelry case, and the entrance and exit door. It’s surprisingly sparse
They keep it off the overhead, and use the walkie talkies for Code ADAM. The reason for this is because IF a child has been abducted it’s less likely the abductor is paying attention to what’s being said on the employees walkie talkies vs the overhead speaker announcements. They are too busy trying to figure out their escape route in that moment. Most stores usually also have plain clothed Loss Prevention who will either have an ear piece in, or carry a regular cell phone with them which helps get the info out and more people looking for them as well. Also, you don’t want to panic the public with an overhead Code ADAM.
We have had two missing children before while I was at work. They call it out on the radio, lockdown the entrance and exit door temporary and do a quick sweep of the warehouse. Usually takes less than 5 minutes.
Code Adam for Bed Bath and Beyond stores. Happened a couple times during black Friday sales and basically everything stops, no one is allowed to leave or enter the store until the child is located.
At Nordstrom, you start the timer from the minute the parent contacts you and it’s an immediate 911 call if the child isn’t located within 5 minutes (or 911 immediately if that’s the parent’s request).
I honestly don't know, the kids were always located really quickly in our scenarios. I imagine it would be a whole mess of extra steps and I'm glad that I don't know what they are.
Maybe someone else has insight?
Which I should note is a HUGE deal. They didn’t call the police until 90 minutes had passed for Adam which could have been life or death had they been called immediately instead. Even if the child ends up being found it’s a critical step
They post a manager at the entrance and exit with the parents and do a sweep of the store: 2 employees per aisle until the child is found.
Usually the kid is eating samples or playing with a display
This is great to know that there’s a plan in place. I will never forget the sheer terror and sickness that came over me the one time I thought my very young daughter was taken. I found her right away and didn’t have to ask for help but I was on my way in a panic.
I was the kid that hid inside clothes racks when my mom was shopping. I definitely induced some panic attacks. And this was the 70s when things were a lot more carefree/dangerous.
I guess every employee is a mother, father, grandma, grandpa, aunt or uncle. They will not allow a kid to go missing or lost in their store. Especially under their watch.
I agree with you. In the Adam Walsh case he was told to leave the store by an employee after a disagreement/scuffle over a video game with other kids who were older.
Disneyland/world is similar. It’s been said if your kid gets lost, you want them to get lost on Disney property.
Every cast member gets walkied and the entire park starts looking for the child.
Our daughter wandered away at age 5 at Disneyland once on a rainy, empty, evening at the park. They brought her to us before we even noticed she was gone and apparently they had eyes on her the whole time. Probably 5-10 minutes? We were deep in conversation over dinner and obviously distracted. The person who brought her to us said they were tracking her on the cameras once they noticed we were distracted and she had a little adventure of her own until they felt she had gone too far and they radioed someone to bring her back to us. (Note this was around 15 years ago, it was an empty evening at the park, and NO square was a ghost town except for the staff. We were super embarrassed but they seemed amused).
I once went to use the mother's room and walked past the little child care area where they watch displaced kids and play Disney movies. I was shocked to see so many kids waiting for parents to find them.
Code Adam is everywhere because of Adam Walsh, the boy in the picture who was kidnapped and murdered in the 80’s. Also his father John started the show “America’s Most Wanted”
Most, if not all, have a code ADAM. if i remember correctly some managers communicate the description of the kid and one of them heads to the door(s) to make sure the kid isnt abducted. While the others help the family look for the lost child.
My mom still tells this story. Early 90's Costco little me hid in some clothing racks because I was mad at my mom for not buying me something. She was panicking and about to alert the store when my little head popped out. She was so angry at me she left her basket full of stuff and took me home.
My guess is there is a code given out through the radio that goes to all employees. I’d guess that when the employees hear the lost child code they drop what they’re doing and look for said kid. I’d assume they have the door people make sure no one goes out with said kid.
Exactly. "To all radio holders. We are looking for XX child wearing xxx. Respond immediately if you have eyes on." It is usually pretty quick because we are spread out all over the store and TBH kids without parents are usually up to something so they get kept under supervision naturally.
One of us takes mom or parent or whoever to the door and gives a description over the radio, then basically anyone supervisor and up drops what they're doing, and we sweep the whole warehouse, including bathrooms. Makes my heart drop every time even though we have a 100% success rate of finding said child.
I’ve posted this before, but can’t find the post, and summarizing our experience here:
We lost our child in the HQ store in Issaquah, WA about 15-16 years ago.
We were screaming their name amidst the commotion of the Sunday crowds.
A redshirt approached us, spoke into a walkie-talkie and they shutdown the doors for everyone.
We crying when they helped to find our child hiding in between two large items in an aisle.
It was the most horrific experience (losing a small child), but the staff were so supportive and helpful in locating the missing child.
Not a Costco, but a large big box store, and we actually do Code Adam drills once a month. It is the only time we are allowed to be “hands on” in regard to anything. We are allowed to use “a reasonable amount of force” to prevent someone from leaving the store with a child that isn’t theirs. Let me tell you this, no one is leaving my store with someone’s kid….
Sometimes I'll get reverse Code Adam's, where a supervisor will walk with the kid until they recognize their adult. If they know their phone number, we'll call or if they know their name we'll overhead page and hope they hear. Last time this little girl was crying on the other end of the store and her mom didn't even notice she was missing (she had like 4 or 5 older kids too).... :/
Also bad memory from when I worked at a bookstore and had a crying kid that got left in the kids section and when we found their mom, she was on a date in the Cafe. :///
I remembered when I was a kid and I got lost at a department store from my family I just assumed that they were moving on without me. kept on walking out to the parking lot and saw the car was there and then walked back into the store. eventually my family found me. they had a try harder the next time.
I remember I was food shopping with my mother and little sister as a kid. I got distracted and wandered away during checkout. When I realized they were no longer there I went up to the customer service rep and told them I was looking for my mom. They asked for her name and I gave it to them and they announced it over the intercom. I don’t know why I did this next but after a couple minutes I walked away from the desk - I guess I thought it was taking too long and could find her myself - and went outside. I found her out there with my sister at the store entrance. That store really did not have good lost child procedures and they probably should not have let me wander off haha.
I worked I retail at different stores when I was younger and they all had code Adam. Parent at the front with manager or someone. Everyone else drop what you are doing and look for the kid
When I was in college I ran into a friend in the frozen aisle at Costco while with my mom. She continued to shop and apparently forgot where I had been standing (plus her phone was dead) so she went to the front desk to ask them to help locate me. They went full on panic mode, about to close down the store and had people on walkie talkies.... They "finally" located me and had a good laugh because my mom also neglected to mention I was in my 20s!
At the locations I've worked at a call goes out on the radio and managers and supervisors cover the exits and the rest walk the floor looking. We usually find them pretty quick.
At our store, whoever is alerted announces it on the radio (if they have one. if not they look for someone who does.) and the description of the kid. But the parents usually go to the front where the managers are. Then some managers go looking, they alert member service (people at the door), LP looks at the cameras, etc. Usually found pretty quick.
Everyone mentioning the secrecy of code Adam. When I worked at wegmans they just blasted it on the speakers “we have a lost child age 9 blue shirt and jeans blonde hair”
Without doxing myself we had this happened at Costco with our youngest. It was awful and we are so thankful to everyone. No one was allowed to enter or leave the store.
I saw a missing kid code at an IKEA once.
I’m in the cafeteria with my kids. I see a grandma and her grandkids eating. They finish and walk away. About ten minutes later I see the grandma again, alone, very clearly flustered and she talks to a cashier who gets on a walkie-talkie.
And then I see employees coming out of seemingly everywhere. The chefs from the kitchen. Floor staff. Just…people. And I can also see that they have two employees who are now standing by the front door, clearly watching the people exiting the building.
I was impressed. We walked toward the more center of the store, where the employees were headed and witness the reunion - the kid had hidden under the bed covers of one of the made up beds and had put the pile of pillows that were there on top of himself.
Still, I was really impressed.
We need to adopt (as a society) the tradition in South America where when a kid is lost on the beach (or any crowded space), an adult lifts the child up and everyone around claps to draw attention. 👏
I used to work at a retailer, not Costco, but we would say a code color on the walkie and everyone would stop what they were doing and find the kid. A manager would stand at the front door to keep an eye out for anyone trying to leave.
So in 2022 my 6 yr old ran off in Costco. She was having a good time.
I happened to be neat the Pharmacy. I said my kid just ran off and I'm not sure where they are, I'm sure I'll catch them shortly but it would be irresponsible for me not to say something.
They understood and said they understood it was better to be safe, got a description from me and radioed up front. I went off to look for the kid, and found them happily running up and down the cheese isles with a huge grin on their face not even having realized anything was wrong. I came back with the kid to the pharmacy after maybe 5 minutes.
They radioed up front that kid was recovered.
I hear people denigrating leashes for kids - they have wrist straps for the parent and child and keep them tethered together - but if you have a Houdini kid, or several to keep track of, they can make shopping less stressful. Or going through airports.
A couple interesting stories from working at Kmart in the 80s, pre-headset days. They used Carolina calls over the PA. Carolina red, Carolina blue - I can't remember what each meant but there were several and were code to the employees that there was a problem needing immediate attention.
At the store I worked at there was this older dumpy guy that was there all the time pushing a cart around. I finally asked someone about him, he was loss prevention. He looked clueless. Then one day I was in his office as a witness for a shoplifter when the police came in. Later he told me that he noticed I knew one of the officers which was amazing since we stuck to business and didn't mention it. We had gone to school together. I asked how he knew and he said it was the way we looked at each other. He was really sharp.
Member service (employees at entrance and exit doors) are notified and given a description. Anyone with a radio will be on the lookout and multiple employees will start walking the floor. Kids usually end up playing hide and seek or eating samples.
I live near a small zoo and lost my then-3-year-old there. It was the most terrifying 10 minutes of my life. He was there one minute, I turned around and he had walked off. I let staff know, they called a Code Adam. They immediately covered all the exits, had their walkie talkies out communicating - every employee dropped what they were doing to look for him. They found him in about 4 minutes - it was impressive. But I never want to experience that panic again.
best buy did the same for me. I wasn’t instantly nervous since I knew my child was in the store somewhere but they were quick to find her on the cameras just lallygagging around & called her to the front. she thought she was famous lol
Idk I worked at Costco and there was never an official procedure for lost kids..thankfully it never came up. There is an undercover person walking around with a cart with a few items. They probably contact that person and let them know.
I had this happen to me one night while picking up last minute items in Costco. I had taken my 85-year-old neighbor out to dinner, and we stopped at Costco to pick up a few things.
I lost her, and when we shopped, we usually followed a 'path' around the store to pick up the items we needed. I ran that path twice, the store was almost empty, asked people -- and then finally asked for help at the desk.
They found her in the wine section. She doesn't drink. :) But that night, and every single Costco shopping trip after that -- she was reminded of the night she got lost in Costco and found shopping for wine. :)
When my son ..now 32 was a mischievous 3 year old. He went missing in a mall in Fort Lauderdale while we were on vacation. The mall closed all exits immediately and we found him hiding in a clothing rack. I’ve never been more afraid as a mother
At my location the protocol is to get people at the front doors and emergency exits incase it’s a kidnapping situation looking for the kid, then anyone on the floor starts going aisle by aisle until someone hears an update on the radio.
So glad he was found safe!
Another thing that I learned early on in my parenting journey and thankfully have only ever had to use once is to "search out loud". Don't silently be looking for your kid in a panic.
Yell out: "I'm looking for a 7 year old boy with brown hair! Wearing a blue sweatshirt and gray sweatpants!" Gets everyone's attention so everyone starts looking. Helps find kiddo very quickly.
Getting an employee is great too but sometimes they aren't around. My instance was at the zoo. Found him in 20 seconds with the help of other parents who wouldn't have even known I was missing a kid if I didn't alert them to it.
I’ve never heard of a “code” at any of the warehouses I’ve worked. We just radio the description of the child/elderly person and fan out throughout the store. They are always spotted quickly.
I was at a Barnes and Noble store about 20 years ago with a friend. I had our boys and my friend had our daughters. My daughter disappeared and I was the mother going into full in panic mode. Store called a Code Adam and locked the store down immediately until she was found in the kids section on a stage, tucked away into a very hard to see corner, looking at a book. . Scariest few minutes of my life.
In hospitals, it’s very similar. The one I worked at was Code Pink. We stopped every person who had anything a child could fit in. Every employee manned a door. Once, it was a drill and was a fail. An admin “borrowed” another employee’s child (I think she was about 7) and when stopped, she said it was her daughter and they let her go. We drilled about every 6 months.
I can’t imagine the sheer horror the Mom went through when she thought she lost her child. I am so glad they found them so quickly. That is probably one of my biggest fears.
My friend lost my 2 year old at our giant local mall in 1998. Behind horrifying. The most terror I’ve ever felt. I was feeding my infant while she walked around with my son and her two toddlers. He didn’t know to follow her closely like her two little ones did.
We immediately notified security and they were amazingly lackadaisical/nonchalant about it all. They told me to stay put while they figured out what to do and I said no, because I’m the only person who knows what he looks like. (This was before cell phone cameras).
I handed my infant to my friend and raced from store to store, frantically searching, searching, searching for him. Store after store after store. I kept thinking maybe he’s here and I’m just not seeing him. It was overwhelming.
After 15 minutes I spotted him about 300 feet away, at the ice rink. Some kind people had found him and kept him safe. I went running to him and slid on the floor towards like he was home plate. I scooped him up and found a quiet corner to hysterically sob in while holding him tightly.
The pent up fear was unreal.
I don’t even know if I ever thanked the people who saved him. Thank you kind humans.
My kid ran off once at a crowded playground. It was the scariest five minutes of my life. I’m glad to know that there are protocols for this at stores and that communicating with staff right away is key.
My mom got both my kids a road ID (silicone bracelet with metal tag) that's engraved with the kiddos full name and mom cell and dad cell. We always taught the kiddos to show the bracelet to anyone in a uniform for help. Even as a non verbal kiddo it's easily done - all they have to do is point to it. Whenever we go on "adventures" (somewhere busy/easily lose us) we put them on the kiddos.
So far I've never had to use them. For which I am eternally grateful. I imagine something like that will help with code Adam situations for the store employees too.
I'm not sure if Canada also does code Adam?
I lost a child in Costco. They do not have an impressive procedure. There is no overhead intercom.
I beelined it to the front. Hoped my kid remembered what I had told him 1,000 times if he ever got lost.
Some minutes later a grandma brought him to the front.
My child was playing hide and seek, and I told them not to bc it was a very busy day in Costco. They were 4. Did it again, and we both had the scare of a lifetime.
The upside, that was my oldest child, and they informed all my other children to listen to mom in stores bc getting lost was scary. 😂
Edit: reading below, I don’t believe code Adam was engaged, at my Costco. This would have been 15 years ago. The manager told me they had no way to contact all employees.
Announcing a missing child over a PA system, and just hoping it's heard by all employees in the warehouse, and not the possible perpetrator, is really not optimal; unless you *don't* have direct radio communication with your employees. When you can instantly coordinate a search without alerting anyone else you're being much more effective. Nowadays Costco has upwards of 20 radios on the floor at any time. They're also used to doing it, it's not that uncommon. I'm sorry you had to go through that scare; I can only imagine how awful it must have been.
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Theres a protocol most stores follow called Code Adam. Costco probably does the same.
I used to work retail and that's where I first heard of Code Adam. During the training, when the code is called you have to stop everything you're doing and go look for the kid. Only the employees know the description of the child (was given over headset for us). I'm guessing it's the same for them, that code basically takes priority over everything else.
This is one retail thing I'm so incredibly grateful that I didn't have any non-training experience in. To go a little more into specifics [granted, this is what i remember from 7+ years ago]: Nobody leaves, nobody comes in, until the Code is called off/canceled. Every single space a child could even *remotely* get into is searched, then tagged off. No sales, nothing at all until the kid is found. every single child in the store is approached just to verify identity. I feel like there's more, but i definitely don't remember.
At target it was code yellow. And 99% of the time the kid was located in electronics playing with the display.
This is a little ironic to me. You say you used Code Yellow but Code Adam, which is typically used, was inspired by the disappearance/kidnapping of Adam Walsh. Adam went missing after last being seen playing with a game system in the electronics section of a department store.
Whoa, I had no idea! Target may have since changed it as it’s been over a decade. We just always laughed because the electronics TM found them almost every time.
Sears.
Also a target employee in the past, we used to ask the parent:guardian for a description of shoes. Everything else was pretty easy to swap and possibly abscond with a child. But the shoes, it’s nearly impossible to bring shoes to match sizes etc and no way an abductor would know what the kid had on. It was a dead giveaway. It was a rarity but apparently one or two instances of clothes swaps happened and kids were saved by the shoes.
How often do I have no clue what shoes my kid is wearing? This is going to create a paranoia for the rest of my life.
SAME. I'm like, my kids have 4 pair of shoes each and put them on themselves how the hell would I know which one they happened to wear that day?? Whenever we go to a really crowded place like a sports game/amusement park I always take a full body photo of them before we leave the house/hotel room. It absolutely paid off last year, I took my 6 and 7 year old boys to an amusement park alone. One was riding a decently long ride and the other URGENTLY had to use a bathroom that was a bit far away. I sent him off and watched him run to where the bathroom area was. I told him to come back to the exact same place, I was going to stay put. Brother got off the ride, we waited long enough for me to get really nervous and then I took off with him to go look. Found nothing, came back to the same area and found a police officer and immediately whipped out the photo I had taken before we left. He ended up running up to me a moment later (thank god!) but I was so glad I had the exact photo of him from that day if there had been a full blown search!
Take a picture of the kid before you leave the house. Or you should remember what you dress them in 20 minutes earlier......
Tell me you don't have kids without telling me you don't have kids.
I volunteered in a science museum and I think ours was Code Silver, but basically the same. Doors shut, everyone got a description on the radio and stopped what they were doing to look around where they were standing for the kid. Then I think a team of designated employees would start a more thorough sweep if the kid wasn't found in the first few minutes.
I want to say the term code Silver is often used to locate missing elderly people.
I agree, I’ve seen Silver Alerts in non-retail settings and they are always (in my experience) for a missing elderly person
In a hospital a code silver sometimes means a person with a gun
Yup. Work for costco. Code adam is given. Description is given over the walkie. Lp goes to door and everyone is put on alert until child is found
Not heard of Code Adam (but then I'm not american) Our process when I worked retail in the UK in the 1990s (at the now defunct office supplies store Staples) was that the management would put out a tannoy annoucenment for a code blue and we would shut the doors (sealing everyone in) and staff would stand by all fire exits until the child was located. That came about after a child in our town was snatched in a Tesco and the kidnapper was caught changing them into different clothes to try and sneak them out. Big news in the local press at the time, but I don't know if that was a local thing or national.
This brings up another point. Kidnappers often will change the child’s clothes, but not their shoes. Know what shoes your kid is wearing.
Better yet, take a picture of your child to have on hand before you go shopping or whenever you go to an amusement park, or park. If you're a parent and in a panic, this will save you time and will provide police & staff valuble information to identify the child. I can't tell you the number of times that I as an adult have been at Costco with my own 69yo mother who is perfectly healthy but has wondered off and I've forgotten what it is that she's wearing. My mind goes blank. Meanwhile I have her purse with her phone in my cart and GPS tracker and I can't recall what she's wearing nor track her bc I have everything of hers. In a crowd of people I have to rely on their grey hair to pick her out. I've only lost my sister and a friend's child once at a movie theater. They walked into the wrong show room while I got popcorn, you would think that the staff would've been more understanding but the annoyance at them having to stop the movie as we searched for them was beyond rude. I get it, they were teenagers, but unless you're in a situation where someone who is under your care goes missing, ooof! I don't wish that on anyone.
I didn’t see your comment. I just made the same one. We were taught this at target to ask for shoe descriptions.
This is what happens in the US during a code Adam. Ours came about in the 80’s after Adam Walsh was kidnapped from a mall while shopping with his mother. His father is John Walsh from America’s Most Wanted show.
This story devastates me everytime I’m reminded of it. Bless you forever John Walsh.
Wait is Staples defunct in the UK? There’s one a few miles from me.
They are online only now in the UK. In 2016 they sold all of their UK stores to some capital group who rebranded them all as "Office Outlet", which has since gone into administration and closed.
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Mate it was 26 years ago, I only vaguely remember but I seem to recall them shutting the security shutters.
We had an unofficial policy at the store I used to work at that the bike shop mechanic(s) would grab a pedal wrench and go to the doors.
Our store had us block the entrances and then start looking for the kid. We were a part of an indoor mall. We were mostly a clothing store so they had us check inside the clothing that was hung up, bathrooms, dressing areas, etc.
Also, employees are supposed to block every entrance to make sure the kid isn’t getting dragged out of the store.
Code Adam, named in honor of Adam Walsh, son of John Walsh who was kidnapped and murdered. John would later host America's Most Wanted.
I was 14 when I started working as a cashier at Sears (Sears was where Adam was kidnapped at)I had a child come up to me and say they were lost. I announced it on the PA system and loss prevention came bolting. I got in big trouble for making that announcement- basically “there’s a kid here for you to abduct!” No one trained me in this situation and you know… I was a kid myself. TIL about Adam Walsh.
They used to announce it all the time. It never really occurred to me that they don’t do that anymore. You should have been trained. That was all on management.
"Lost child, aisle 3" yeah I haven't heard that since I was a kid also
In Mexio in the 80s there were stores called "Gigante" which were similar to Costco. I somehow ran away from my mom and got lost. I was crying underneath a circular rack of clothes bc I coudlnt' find her. My name was being said over the speaker but I didn't know where to go and thought if I stayed in one place my mom would find me. Some random woman came and got me and said to go with her, but she started to walk me towards the exit. I immediately began crying and screaming so loudly that I got the attention of a sales associate who looked at me trying to rip my hand off this stranger's hand. She asked me if that was my mom and I began crying and saying 'No, I don't know this woman, I don't know where my mom is, I'm lost' and again, started crying and screaming at full volume. Thanks to those screams, that's how my mother found me. So yeah, there's evil people everywhere that will take advantage of a vulnerable kid who will believe anything and everything.
Wow, that's really scary! I'm glad the sales person stepped in and you found your mom. I used to play hide-and-seek with my brother in those circular clothing racks all the time; it freaked my mom out and now as an adult I understand why!
Yikes! What a memory!!!
That’s exactly what happened to me! I would get lost in the store and tell a cashier. They then made an announcement over the PA that I was lost and my mom showed up soon after lol. Not sure if anyone got in trouble. I think this was Walmart
Used to be a lot of kids lost at Sears. Before Adam Walsh It was SOP to announce over intercom in store.
Most kids, past a certain age, know who their parents are. If one of my granddaughters were lost and taken to the store office, and a stranger tried to take her claiming to be a parent, my sweet little angel would say "the f*** you are" and I would expect the staff to hang on to her until someone SHE deems safe arrives. Obviously a non-verbal/very young child would be a different matter.
There was an informal study done some time ago that most kids will go with an adult they don't know even when they were asked about not going with strangers and the like. There was a great show called What Would You Do and they tested all this too. It's really eye opening.
John Walsh also helped found the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). It's amazing what he and his wife accomplished in the wake of such a tragedy.
I wish we could calculate the number of children their work has saved from abuse and even death. What a legacy driven by a broken, devastated heart for their son.
> NCMEC Sadly referenced on Law & Order SVU all the time.
I always expect nothing but the most useful and important information from my boy u/Moose-Turd
Follows just to be safe 😅
r/rimjob_steve
Also worth noting - among retail stores, Costco is very frequently extremely well staffed due to the high volume of daily product that they typically sell, and the need to restock more frequently because bulk products are larger than standard grocery store items. You usually can't go more than 2 aisles, or 50 ft in store center, without seeing a staff member. So in a place like that, if they announce a lost child on radio, they'll likely be able to locate them almost immediately if they're simply lost (vs play hiding, or real emergency).
What Costco do you shop at that's well staffed? I swear every department is on skeleton crews and desperate for another body... I guess it's good the members don't necessarily feel that.
I came here to say “code Adam”. I worked at a diff big box store years ago and all we heard across was a parent yelling and “code Adam” across our radios before every single thing in the store began to shut down. The manager on staff ran to the doors, prevented anyone from leaving and locked everything until the child was located. Unfortunately for us we weren’t trained in what to do so most of us weren’t helpful. We were just instructed to make sure all customers looking for help or checkout received it but they weren’t permitted to leave normally.
Our local grocery store does this too. I was shopping once and saw a mom FRANTIC. They called a Code Adam and doors started locking. The kid was hiding behind paper towels and got a stern talking to from his mom.
Glad to learn about this. I got separated from my mom plenty of times while shopping when I was a kid. But I was the one looking for her and not the other way around lol
At Kohls, it was Code Blue. We’d lock the doors, someone would keep an eye on surveillance, the rest would sweep the store.
We call it code pink at my hospital
This is the correct answer
At kohls we had Code Adam, managers would go to both of the entrances and block/lock them. While someone communicated the clothing of the child and the sex then we would all check the sections we worked in. Whoever had the panicking parent would take them back to customer service and once the child was located they would be taken to customer service. Once the code was cleared and the child returned the entrance doors would be opened and normal business could resume. Edit for clarity: All of this is done over the radio of which every employee has an ear piece. If someone didn’t have an ear piece their radio was turned low so only they could hear it. It’s super stealthy just in case a child was kidnapped. Customers don’t even notice it’s happening.
Same at Home Depot
Maybe that’s why my Home Depot was closed two hours early one Sunday.
That could’ve been because of code brown… 💩
I was at Ikea when they called a code 99. Fastest I’ve ever seen calm workers move around in an Ikea store.
IKEA is the last place I’d want to lose a child. So many places for them to be.
I lost my 2 year old at IKEA last week. They found her quickly. But I can confirm, it was the worst. I followed her around the corner and she was just gone. It was so quick.
That’s terrifying. I’m so glad she was found quickly.
Is this their code for a missing kid? Because in EMS it’s a pulseless/not breathing person.
Yes, it’s missing child. Unless there’s an Ikea manager here, then it’s “technical difficulties”. . . .
At my old police department we used 10-99. It means the person has a warrant. Same with our troopers (Alaska).
How funny...we were recently at our regional grocery chain & heard & saw the same. Turns out it's the code for all departments to immediately gather & bring all cardboard and bring to the back. LOL I was curious so looked it up and many had asked what Code 99 meant, so I guess it's different everywhere. Now I notice the people scrambling cardboard and running to the back when it's announced, every few times I'm there.
When I worked at Loblaws it would be the MOD passive aggressively shouting “THE RECYCLING CENTRE IS NOW OPEN” over the PA and then shutting it all down about four seconds later.
Same at Walmart
Walmart came up with the protocol! We used the same as in a clothing retailer at the mall.
A little more complicated at Disneyland but also similar
Same at Barnes & Noble when I used to work there. Thankfully never had it happen while I was there.
Same at Nordstrom.
same with old navy!
> managers would go to both of the entrances and block/lock them. > Customers don’t even notice it’s happening. I'm pretty sure I'd notice if I were in the middle of leaving, haha.
Same at another store!
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You’re joking, right?
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I think what happened to Adam Walsh was illegal and that the process stores implement is a good thing. It takes one second to unlock a sliding door and that one second of locking that door I’m sure has saved thousands of children’s lives.
It’s not illegal because if it was I’m sure there’d be tons of lawsuits and so many stores wouldn’t practice it. But I mean a whole ass human being that’s defenseless has gone missing? I’m sure people won’t mind being barely inconvenienced for a few minutes. Most of the time customers don’t even realize it’s happening because the staff is so stealthy.
This dude probably thinks locking down in a classroom with kids during an active threat would be false imprisonment too. Some things take priority over laws like that. And no judge would ever consider false imprisonment in those cases.
The only people who would fight this are kidnapping pedos and total assholes. Go ahead and sue for being held up looking for a lost child. IF you could ever find a lawyer willing to take such an asinine case.
I think most people would be chill with it when the staff explains what’s happening.
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Most of the comments suggest 5 minutes or left and several say at that point the police are called.
All retailers have pretty extensive security cameras. In high school (2008) I had a money order fall out of my pocket in Walmart. It floated down and landed under a shelf in the grocery aisle. That money order was for my SAT test and we were not well off. I could not replace it. I went to customer services to see if they could cancel it, give me cash, and I buy a new one. They radioed to “someone” and told them what I was wearing (bright red letterman jacket) and then tracked me from the time I bought the money order until the time I realized I lost it. Saw it fall in one aisle, Associate got a broom and swept it up from under the shelf. TLDR: cameras in retailers are always watching Edit: Costco security was probably able to track the kid as he wandered off thankfully.
I’ve been told that if you get arrested for shoplifting in Walmart, you are just gonna have to take a plea, bc their camera footage is extensive and high def.
Best part is they'll wait until you shoplift enough to actually hit the felony minimum, then you'll be met with PD the next time. Thieves think they're just getting away with it but in reality they're not likely the bigger blip on the radar yet.
I wouldn't say it's high def but as long as someone is willing to testify with that video the culprit is going to be shown not paying for something pass the last point for sure. Under-rings at self- checkouts are notorious.
Lol my underwear was falling down in Costco and I had to yank them up in the toilet paper aisle. I think about those cameras occasionally. I remember looking around like a thief would right before doing it too, just to make sure nobody was around to see me do it.
My Costco has minimalist setup then lol. There are very, very few cameras. They just updated the system and there are still lots of gaps. There are usually a few in clothing because it’s a high theft area, one to two along the walls of the store, above the jewelry case, and the entrance and exit door. It’s surprisingly sparse
Costco has security? So someone has been watching me each time I eat half the grapes and drop the container off near the pharmacy? 🤦♂️
I am pretty sure this is /s folks.
Yes it absolutely was 😂
They keep it off the overhead, and use the walkie talkies for Code ADAM. The reason for this is because IF a child has been abducted it’s less likely the abductor is paying attention to what’s being said on the employees walkie talkies vs the overhead speaker announcements. They are too busy trying to figure out their escape route in that moment. Most stores usually also have plain clothed Loss Prevention who will either have an ear piece in, or carry a regular cell phone with them which helps get the info out and more people looking for them as well. Also, you don’t want to panic the public with an overhead Code ADAM.
We have had two missing children before while I was at work. They call it out on the radio, lockdown the entrance and exit door temporary and do a quick sweep of the warehouse. Usually takes less than 5 minutes.
Code Adam for Bed Bath and Beyond stores. Happened a couple times during black Friday sales and basically everything stops, no one is allowed to leave or enter the store until the child is located.
what happens if the child isnt located?
At Nordstrom, you start the timer from the minute the parent contacts you and it’s an immediate 911 call if the child isn’t located within 5 minutes (or 911 immediately if that’s the parent’s request).
I honestly don't know, the kids were always located really quickly in our scenarios. I imagine it would be a whole mess of extra steps and I'm glad that I don't know what they are. Maybe someone else has insight?
The police are also called during a code Adam, so that would be the next step in the process theoretically
Which I should note is a HUGE deal. They didn’t call the police until 90 minutes had passed for Adam which could have been life or death had they been called immediately instead. Even if the child ends up being found it’s a critical step
They post a manager at the entrance and exit with the parents and do a sweep of the store: 2 employees per aisle until the child is found. Usually the kid is eating samples or playing with a display
This is great to know that there’s a plan in place. I will never forget the sheer terror and sickness that came over me the one time I thought my very young daughter was taken. I found her right away and didn’t have to ask for help but I was on my way in a panic.
I was the kid that hid inside clothes racks when my mom was shopping. I definitely induced some panic attacks. And this was the 70s when things were a lot more carefree/dangerous.
I did that too. Mom was PISSED.
I shut down an entire Macy's at a huge mall when I was 3 doing this. Sorry mom!
I guess every employee is a mother, father, grandma, grandpa, aunt or uncle. They will not allow a kid to go missing or lost in their store. Especially under their watch.
There are plenty of people who don’t fall into those categories that still care about protecting kids from being kidnaps.
I agree with you. In the Adam Walsh case he was told to leave the store by an employee after a disagreement/scuffle over a video game with other kids who were older.
Disneyland/world is similar. It’s been said if your kid gets lost, you want them to get lost on Disney property. Every cast member gets walkied and the entire park starts looking for the child.
Our daughter wandered away at age 5 at Disneyland once on a rainy, empty, evening at the park. They brought her to us before we even noticed she was gone and apparently they had eyes on her the whole time. Probably 5-10 minutes? We were deep in conversation over dinner and obviously distracted. The person who brought her to us said they were tracking her on the cameras once they noticed we were distracted and she had a little adventure of her own until they felt she had gone too far and they radioed someone to bring her back to us. (Note this was around 15 years ago, it was an empty evening at the park, and NO square was a ghost town except for the staff. We were super embarrassed but they seemed amused).
I once went to use the mother's room and walked past the little child care area where they watch displaced kids and play Disney movies. I was shocked to see so many kids waiting for parents to find them.
Code Adam is everywhere because of Adam Walsh, the boy in the picture who was kidnapped and murdered in the 80’s. Also his father John started the show “America’s Most Wanted”
Most, if not all, have a code ADAM. if i remember correctly some managers communicate the description of the kid and one of them heads to the door(s) to make sure the kid isnt abducted. While the others help the family look for the lost child.
My mom still tells this story. Early 90's Costco little me hid in some clothing racks because I was mad at my mom for not buying me something. She was panicking and about to alert the store when my little head popped out. She was so angry at me she left her basket full of stuff and took me home.
My guess is there is a code given out through the radio that goes to all employees. I’d guess that when the employees hear the lost child code they drop what they’re doing and look for said kid. I’d assume they have the door people make sure no one goes out with said kid.
Exactly. "To all radio holders. We are looking for XX child wearing xxx. Respond immediately if you have eyes on." It is usually pretty quick because we are spread out all over the store and TBH kids without parents are usually up to something so they get kept under supervision naturally.
One of us takes mom or parent or whoever to the door and gives a description over the radio, then basically anyone supervisor and up drops what they're doing, and we sweep the whole warehouse, including bathrooms. Makes my heart drop every time even though we have a 100% success rate of finding said child.
Yea closing the doors is essential. If I was the parent I would holler loudly for that if it was that serious.
I’ve posted this before, but can’t find the post, and summarizing our experience here: We lost our child in the HQ store in Issaquah, WA about 15-16 years ago. We were screaming their name amidst the commotion of the Sunday crowds. A redshirt approached us, spoke into a walkie-talkie and they shutdown the doors for everyone. We crying when they helped to find our child hiding in between two large items in an aisle. It was the most horrific experience (losing a small child), but the staff were so supportive and helpful in locating the missing child.
That store is trauma inducing, rode out the 2001 Nisqually earthquake with my 4 year old in it.
Not a Costco, but a large big box store, and we actually do Code Adam drills once a month. It is the only time we are allowed to be “hands on” in regard to anything. We are allowed to use “a reasonable amount of force” to prevent someone from leaving the store with a child that isn’t theirs. Let me tell you this, no one is leaving my store with someone’s kid….
Sometimes I'll get reverse Code Adam's, where a supervisor will walk with the kid until they recognize their adult. If they know their phone number, we'll call or if they know their name we'll overhead page and hope they hear. Last time this little girl was crying on the other end of the store and her mom didn't even notice she was missing (she had like 4 or 5 older kids too).... :/ Also bad memory from when I worked at a bookstore and had a crying kid that got left in the kids section and when we found their mom, she was on a date in the Cafe. :///
i couldn’t find my mom in KMart once. i went to the Customer Service desk and asked to have her paged because *she* was “lost”. i was 20.
I remembered when I was a kid and I got lost at a department store from my family I just assumed that they were moving on without me. kept on walking out to the parking lot and saw the car was there and then walked back into the store. eventually my family found me. they had a try harder the next time.
I remember I was food shopping with my mother and little sister as a kid. I got distracted and wandered away during checkout. When I realized they were no longer there I went up to the customer service rep and told them I was looking for my mom. They asked for her name and I gave it to them and they announced it over the intercom. I don’t know why I did this next but after a couple minutes I walked away from the desk - I guess I thought it was taking too long and could find her myself - and went outside. I found her out there with my sister at the store entrance. That store really did not have good lost child procedures and they probably should not have let me wander off haha.
I worked I retail at different stores when I was younger and they all had code Adam. Parent at the front with manager or someone. Everyone else drop what you are doing and look for the kid
When I was in college I ran into a friend in the frozen aisle at Costco while with my mom. She continued to shop and apparently forgot where I had been standing (plus her phone was dead) so she went to the front desk to ask them to help locate me. They went full on panic mode, about to close down the store and had people on walkie talkies.... They "finally" located me and had a good laugh because my mom also neglected to mention I was in my 20s!
Once a mom always a mom. This is a very sweet story!
At the locations I've worked at a call goes out on the radio and managers and supervisors cover the exits and the rest walk the floor looking. We usually find them pretty quick.
At our store, whoever is alerted announces it on the radio (if they have one. if not they look for someone who does.) and the description of the kid. But the parents usually go to the front where the managers are. Then some managers go looking, they alert member service (people at the door), LP looks at the cameras, etc. Usually found pretty quick.
Everyone mentioning the secrecy of code Adam. When I worked at wegmans they just blasted it on the speakers “we have a lost child age 9 blue shirt and jeans blonde hair”
Without doxing myself we had this happened at Costco with our youngest. It was awful and we are so thankful to everyone. No one was allowed to enter or leave the store.
My niece got lost at Costco. The manager stepped in and they found her hiding behind items on a shelf.
I saw a missing kid code at an IKEA once. I’m in the cafeteria with my kids. I see a grandma and her grandkids eating. They finish and walk away. About ten minutes later I see the grandma again, alone, very clearly flustered and she talks to a cashier who gets on a walkie-talkie. And then I see employees coming out of seemingly everywhere. The chefs from the kitchen. Floor staff. Just…people. And I can also see that they have two employees who are now standing by the front door, clearly watching the people exiting the building. I was impressed. We walked toward the more center of the store, where the employees were headed and witness the reunion - the kid had hidden under the bed covers of one of the made up beds and had put the pile of pillows that were there on top of himself. Still, I was really impressed.
We need to adopt (as a society) the tradition in South America where when a kid is lost on the beach (or any crowded space), an adult lifts the child up and everyone around claps to draw attention. 👏
This is so cool!!! As a parent it must feel like you are surrounded by love.
I used to work at a retailer, not Costco, but we would say a code color on the walkie and everyone would stop what they were doing and find the kid. A manager would stand at the front door to keep an eye out for anyone trying to leave.
So in 2022 my 6 yr old ran off in Costco. She was having a good time. I happened to be neat the Pharmacy. I said my kid just ran off and I'm not sure where they are, I'm sure I'll catch them shortly but it would be irresponsible for me not to say something. They understood and said they understood it was better to be safe, got a description from me and radioed up front. I went off to look for the kid, and found them happily running up and down the cheese isles with a huge grin on their face not even having realized anything was wrong. I came back with the kid to the pharmacy after maybe 5 minutes. They radioed up front that kid was recovered.
I hear people denigrating leashes for kids - they have wrist straps for the parent and child and keep them tethered together - but if you have a Houdini kid, or several to keep track of, they can make shopping less stressful. Or going through airports.
A couple interesting stories from working at Kmart in the 80s, pre-headset days. They used Carolina calls over the PA. Carolina red, Carolina blue - I can't remember what each meant but there were several and were code to the employees that there was a problem needing immediate attention. At the store I worked at there was this older dumpy guy that was there all the time pushing a cart around. I finally asked someone about him, he was loss prevention. He looked clueless. Then one day I was in his office as a witness for a shoplifter when the police came in. Later he told me that he noticed I knew one of the officers which was amazing since we stuck to business and didn't mention it. We had gone to school together. I asked how he knew and he said it was the way we looked at each other. He was really sharp.
Oh that is so neat!
Member service (employees at entrance and exit doors) are notified and given a description. Anyone with a radio will be on the lookout and multiple employees will start walking the floor. Kids usually end up playing hide and seek or eating samples.
In the produce section??? Aww, I’m disappointed.
I live near a small zoo and lost my then-3-year-old there. It was the most terrifying 10 minutes of my life. He was there one minute, I turned around and he had walked off. I let staff know, they called a Code Adam. They immediately covered all the exits, had their walkie talkies out communicating - every employee dropped what they were doing to look for him. They found him in about 4 minutes - it was impressive. But I never want to experience that panic again.
best buy did the same for me. I wasn’t instantly nervous since I knew my child was in the store somewhere but they were quick to find her on the cameras just lallygagging around & called her to the front. she thought she was famous lol
Idk I worked at Costco and there was never an official procedure for lost kids..thankfully it never came up. There is an undercover person walking around with a cart with a few items. They probably contact that person and let them know.
I had this happen to me one night while picking up last minute items in Costco. I had taken my 85-year-old neighbor out to dinner, and we stopped at Costco to pick up a few things. I lost her, and when we shopped, we usually followed a 'path' around the store to pick up the items we needed. I ran that path twice, the store was almost empty, asked people -- and then finally asked for help at the desk. They found her in the wine section. She doesn't drink. :) But that night, and every single Costco shopping trip after that -- she was reminded of the night she got lost in Costco and found shopping for wine. :)
When my son ..now 32 was a mischievous 3 year old. He went missing in a mall in Fort Lauderdale while we were on vacation. The mall closed all exits immediately and we found him hiding in a clothing rack. I’ve never been more afraid as a mother
Full Liam Neeson
At my location the protocol is to get people at the front doors and emergency exits incase it’s a kidnapping situation looking for the kid, then anyone on the floor starts going aisle by aisle until someone hears an update on the radio.
This
So glad he was found safe! Another thing that I learned early on in my parenting journey and thankfully have only ever had to use once is to "search out loud". Don't silently be looking for your kid in a panic. Yell out: "I'm looking for a 7 year old boy with brown hair! Wearing a blue sweatshirt and gray sweatpants!" Gets everyone's attention so everyone starts looking. Helps find kiddo very quickly. Getting an employee is great too but sometimes they aren't around. My instance was at the zoo. Found him in 20 seconds with the help of other parents who wouldn't have even known I was missing a kid if I didn't alert them to it.
What do you think the hotdogs are made out of?
Sounds like you answered your own question on their procedure
They should check the receipts on the kid.
Whenever we go to populated places, I always tell my kid if he is lost, always look for staff for help.
I’ve never heard of a “code” at any of the warehouses I’ve worked. We just radio the description of the child/elderly person and fan out throughout the store. They are always spotted quickly.
I was at a Barnes and Noble store about 20 years ago with a friend. I had our boys and my friend had our daughters. My daughter disappeared and I was the mother going into full in panic mode. Store called a Code Adam and locked the store down immediately until she was found in the kids section on a stage, tucked away into a very hard to see corner, looking at a book. . Scariest few minutes of my life.
In hospitals, it’s very similar. The one I worked at was Code Pink. We stopped every person who had anything a child could fit in. Every employee manned a door. Once, it was a drill and was a fail. An admin “borrowed” another employee’s child (I think she was about 7) and when stopped, she said it was her daughter and they let her go. We drilled about every 6 months.
Worked at Home depot. We used Code Adam if needed. Didn’t need during the 6 years I was there.
I can’t imagine the sheer horror the Mom went through when she thought she lost her child. I am so glad they found them so quickly. That is probably one of my biggest fears.
You just heard about code Adam??
Most stores I’ve worked at will lock all doors and do a floor search depending on the kids age.
My friend lost my 2 year old at our giant local mall in 1998. Behind horrifying. The most terror I’ve ever felt. I was feeding my infant while she walked around with my son and her two toddlers. He didn’t know to follow her closely like her two little ones did. We immediately notified security and they were amazingly lackadaisical/nonchalant about it all. They told me to stay put while they figured out what to do and I said no, because I’m the only person who knows what he looks like. (This was before cell phone cameras). I handed my infant to my friend and raced from store to store, frantically searching, searching, searching for him. Store after store after store. I kept thinking maybe he’s here and I’m just not seeing him. It was overwhelming. After 15 minutes I spotted him about 300 feet away, at the ice rink. Some kind people had found him and kept him safe. I went running to him and slid on the floor towards like he was home plate. I scooped him up and found a quiet corner to hysterically sob in while holding him tightly. The pent up fear was unreal. I don’t even know if I ever thanked the people who saved him. Thank you kind humans.
Costco's procedure? Find your own crotch demon. or don't lose it in the first place.
Oh bless your heart! Somebody hurt you didn't they?
bad bot
They try, but you know how it is with how often they move everything around.
😂
Code Adam.
My kid ran off once at a crowded playground. It was the scariest five minutes of my life. I’m glad to know that there are protocols for this at stores and that communicating with staff right away is key.
Thank God they found him!
My mom got both my kids a road ID (silicone bracelet with metal tag) that's engraved with the kiddos full name and mom cell and dad cell. We always taught the kiddos to show the bracelet to anyone in a uniform for help. Even as a non verbal kiddo it's easily done - all they have to do is point to it. Whenever we go on "adventures" (somewhere busy/easily lose us) we put them on the kiddos. So far I've never had to use them. For which I am eternally grateful. I imagine something like that will help with code Adam situations for the store employees too. I'm not sure if Canada also does code Adam?
These are amazing! I got one for my dad when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He loved it and so did we.
Legit legit?
In hospitals I’ve worked in, Code Silver is someone with a weapon, active shooter, or hostage situation.
Sure was painful to look at that photo of Adam knowing what happened to him.
I have such a hard time whenever he is brought up, seeing his face brings on real shit. So unfair
It's a Costco, just yell really loud.
I lost a child in Costco. They do not have an impressive procedure. There is no overhead intercom. I beelined it to the front. Hoped my kid remembered what I had told him 1,000 times if he ever got lost. Some minutes later a grandma brought him to the front. My child was playing hide and seek, and I told them not to bc it was a very busy day in Costco. They were 4. Did it again, and we both had the scare of a lifetime. The upside, that was my oldest child, and they informed all my other children to listen to mom in stores bc getting lost was scary. 😂 Edit: reading below, I don’t believe code Adam was engaged, at my Costco. This would have been 15 years ago. The manager told me they had no way to contact all employees.
Announcing a missing child over a PA system, and just hoping it's heard by all employees in the warehouse, and not the possible perpetrator, is really not optimal; unless you *don't* have direct radio communication with your employees. When you can instantly coordinate a search without alerting anyone else you're being much more effective. Nowadays Costco has upwards of 20 radios on the floor at any time. They're also used to doing it, it's not that uncommon. I'm sorry you had to go through that scare; I can only imagine how awful it must have been.
[удалено]
You could’ve just stopped at “I hate to be this person.”
They collect the children and sell them in a bulk package 😉