COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina's Amber Alert is expanding to include lottery retailers and BellSouth technicians as the program wants to get information about abducted children to as many people as possible as quickly as possible.

Currently the alerts, triggered by the State Law Enforcement Division, are broadcast on television and radio stations.

But by including the state's more than 3,500 lottery retailers, the alerts can hit a lot more people, South Carolina Education Lottery Director Ernie Passailaigue said Wednesday.

The lottery will send the information out over its network. Messages like "Amber Alert, ask clerk for details" will be displayed on screens seen by customers on the lottery machines, and the stores will be faxed fliers to put in their windows.

"If someone is on the run, they will more than likely have to stop somewhere for gas," Passailaigue said.

Florida, Texas and several other states use their lottery retailers in similar ways, South Carolina officials said.

Also, BellSouth plans to send the alerts to laptop computers used by the company's 700 technicians working outside the office. "The idea is to get as many eyes out there looking as possible," BellSouth spokeswoman Marcia Purday said.

The state has received a $125,000 federal grant to upgrade the software that powers the Transportation Department's message signs. Currently, it takes 40 minutes to get Amber Alert messages on the signs. Transportation officials are hoping to cut that to five minutes.

Getting the information out quickly is very important, because studies have shown law enforcement has about three hours to solve most abductions before they turn tragic, said Margaret Frierson of the state's chapter of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

While the Amber Alert system has never been activated in South Carolina, broadcasters say tests have been conducted without problems.