CTIA-The Wireless Association® is again joining with its member companies to sponsor National Wireless Safety Week, an industry-wide effort focusing on wireless technology’s important role in enhancing public and personal safety. Wireless Safety Week 2009 begins today, Monday, June 8th through Friday, June 12th.
Wireless Safety Week will kick-off with The Wireless Foundation’s 15th Annual Achievement Awards Dinner tonight in Washington, D.C.’s historic Union Station. The Achievement Awards Dinner brings together wireless industry leaders, Members of Congress and other influentials to highlight the contributions wireless technology makes to American communities.
This year, Wireless Industry Achievement Awards will be presented to U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Associate Director of Training and Outreach Robert Hoever.
The Foundation will also recognize eight VITA™ (Latin for “life”) Wireless Samaritan awardees who exemplify safety first in extraordinary circumstances and have used wireless technology to protect lives. For more information, check out this morning’s press release.
The 2009 VITA™ Wireless Samaritan Award Honorees are:
- Dalton Bray from Sanwich, IL used the new cell phone he received for his twelfth birthday to dial 911 and help save his mom’s life after he found her in a semi-conscious state with rapidly decreasing body temperature due to her diabetes insulin pump detaching sometime during the night.
- Mayor Will Cox from Madisonville, KY hosted virtual town hall meetings from his car using his wireless device to update his fellow citizens and deliver critical information after a devastating ice storm blanketed his town in Kentucky and caused power disruptions and impaired communications.
- Eddie Gren from Fenton, MI called 911 with his mobile phone after he spotted a van in flames traveling down the road. After getting the driver’s attention to stop on the side of the road, he noticed that the passenger was wheelchair-bound. Eddie managed to pull him from the burning vehicle, effectively saving his life.
- Paul Healey from Spanish Fork, UT dialed 911 from his cell phone and provided GPS coordinates to the dispatcher after he and a friend discovered a horrible accident in a remote part of American Fork Canyon in Utah. A tree had fallen on a truck, through the windshield and impaled the driver’s stomach. Paul’s action enabled responders to locate and save the injured driver’s life.
- Michael McKinney from Lake Tahoe, CA was skiing when a sudden winter storm led to white out conditions. Despite being disoriented and lost in deep snow, Michael used his cell phone to reach ski patrol. Even with strong winds, blowing snow and avalanche risks, rescuers were able to pinpoint the location of Michael’s cell phone and escort him to safety.
- Val Renfro from Ft. Worth, TX called 911 from the cell phone in her pocket after a man snatched her purse in a store parking lot. Val, a grandmother of four, proceeded to chase the fleeing man through the parking lot from behind the wheel of her car. She managed to block the thief with the vehicle and detain him until police arrived on the scene to make the arrest.
- Patrick Stewart from Ambridge, PA noticed two men were attempting to rob a convenience store so he dialed 911 on his wireless phone. Patrick then proceeded to engage the men and was able to detain one criminal as the accomplice fled into the parking lot. Police soon arrived and arrested the two men.
- Kathie Waiveris from Sandisfield, MA was nine months pregnant but walked into the snowy woods near her home after hearing distressed cries for help. She came upon a hunter who had broken his leg and had initial signs of hypothermia. Kathie used her cell phone to call for help and bring the man to safety.
In addition to the Achievement Awards Dinner, CTIA has created a Wireless Online Safety section to our site that highlights educational materials and information for parents to use to talk with their kids about responsible wireless behavior and safety.
Featured in the section is a pocket guide 
that uses the word “SAFETY” as an easy-to-remember acronym with six simple tips to keep kids safe in a mobile environment. In addition to the tips, the following supplemental resources and information are also available:
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