Be Cautious If You Ever Hear ‘Code Adam’ At An Idaho Walmart

Whenever you walk into an Idaho Walmart store, you see stickers on the window. These stickers have the store hours, the logos of the credit cards that they accept, and a bunch of other logos that we overlook, including one that says, "CODE ADAM."

Speaking of things that you see or hear but never notice, codes are used on employee walkie-talkies and sometimes the intercom. You don't even give them a second thought if you hear them. After reading this, you will hear them every time, and one day, because of this knowledge, you may keep a family from losing an abducted child, and it might even save your life.

How Did Walmart Codes Start?

No one knows how most of these codes came to be or what the significance of some of them is, but it likely started with "Code Adam." Code Adam is a program Walmart implemented in all its United States stores in 1994 to prevent child abduction. Code Adam was named after Adam Walsh, a 6-year-old boy taken from a Sears store in Florida in 1981. He was brutally murdered, and his severed head was found two weeks later. As you can imagine, the story shook the entire country and made the boy's father, John Walsh, a prominent figure. He became known for hosting the Fox TV Show "America's Most Wanted."

The program has spread to almost every business in the country, but that's because of Walmart's adoption. They've become so good at it that Walmart holds workshops to help other department stores implement it. It is now used at amusement parks, museums, and government buildings.

What Is Code Adam?

Code Adam is an emergency code that, when implemented, locks down a business. At the same time, employees sweep the premises to look for a missing child.

15 years ago, I was visiting an indoor waterpark in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when I turned around and my youngest daughter was gone. I looked all over and couldn't find her. I reported her missing to the park, and they implemented a Code Adam. They wouldn't let anyone in or out while they searched for her. Fortunately, within minutes, she was found. She was hanging out about two feet from where I thought I had lost her, and she was trying to help find the lost girl she didn't know was actually her.

What Other Codes Does Walmart Use?

Many other codes at Walmart have secret meanings that require a coordinated response by employees. They are each for specific situations, from spills in the middle of an aisle to an active shooter. We don't know how each code was chosen, but they wanted it to be easy to remember yet distinct from others. These codes are so effective that many other retailers use them in their Idaho stores.

Knowing these will help you understand what the employees are dealing with and could even save your life.