General
code adam
What does code adam mean?
Public-address alert used by big-box retailers, malls and hospitals when a child is reported missing inside the building. Triggers a lockdown protocol — staff stop what they're doing, monitor exits and sweep the store. If the kid isn't found in 10 minutes, police get called.
"We had a Code Adam on aisle 12, took six minutes to find the boy in the toy section."
Origin
Named after Adam Walsh, the 6-year-old abducted from a Sears in Hollywood, Florida in 1981 and later found murdered. Walmart created the protocol in 1994; it's since been adopted across US federal buildings and most major retail chains.
Frequently asked questions
What does Code Adam mean in a store?
Code Adam is a store-wide alert that a child has gone missing on the premises.
How do you use Code Adam in a sentence?
"They announced a Code Adam and locked the exits until the little girl was found."
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