On Monday night, National Wireless Safety Week 2009 started with The Wireless Foundation’s 15th Annual Achievement Awards Dinner in Washington, DC’s historic Union Station. 

Every year, this prestigious event brings together Members of Congress and other influentials to highlight the contributions wireless technology makes to American communities. 

It was a great evening all around! Hats off to The Wireless Foundation for all the hard work they put into this event, and for their ongoing efforts to help make families and neighborhoods across America safer. The Foundation initiates and oversees programs such as Wireless AMBER Alerts™, Text 2HELP, Get Wise About Wireless and many more. We also want to thank this year’s Achievement Award Dinner sponsors. 

Below are some photos from the evening: 

Tony Holcombe, President & CEO of Syniverse Technologies and Vice Chairman of the Wireless Foundation Board of Directors, presents the 2009 Wireless Achievement Award to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Robert Hoever for his unwavering support for the Wireless AMBER Alerts™ program and his dedication to the mission of safely reuniting children with their families.  

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) accepts the 2009 Wireless Achievement Award from Steve Largent, The Wireless Foundation President and CTIA President & CEO, for his policy leadership on important telecommunications issues, such as E-911, in the Senate. 

During his acceptance remarks, Senator Nelson reiterates the importance of ensuring that all Americans have access to the most advanced E-911 emergency communications technologies. He also addressed the alarming issue of some state and local governments raiding their 911 funds to meet budget shortfalls, and emphasized his commitment to make sure 911 taxes and fees are used for their intended purposes.

The 2009 VTIA™ Wireless Samaritans are recognized alongside Steve Largent. Since 1993, The Wireless Foundation has honored individuals who have used wireless technology to act responsibly—and often heroically—in an emergency.

The National Crime Prevention Council’s President & CEO, Al Lenhardt, presents the 2009 Get Wise About Wireless Script Writing Contest award to 8th grader Sarah Beth Caudill of Owensboro, Kentucky. 

Case Western Reserve University law student Melissa Yasinow accepts the 2009 Amy Zoslov Scholarship award presented to by T-Mobile’s Vice President of Federal Regulatory Affairs Kathleen Ham, the FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau’s Deputy Chief of the Auctions and Spectrum Access Division Gary Michaels and AT&T’s Assistant Vice President of Federal Regulatory Affairs Jeanine Poltronieri.   
 

The Wireless Foundation’s Executive Director, David
Diggs, highlights some of the Foundation’s program activities.

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:

• Wireless Online Safety Glossary of Terms 
• Staying Safe in 2009: The Wireless Foundation Update Podcast  
• Wireless Working to Keep Kids Safe Podcast  
• Tools from Your Wireless Carrier 
• “Get Wise About Wireless” Educational Materials

Having a mobile device can help you prepare for a trip, prevent an emergency, or protect your loved ones. To learn more watch this segment from our June installment of our Wonder of Wireless webcast, and take a few moments to see what else we have to offer in our June WOW.

Today I had the privilege of participating in an online child safety panel at the 2009 Presidential Initiative Summit in Philadelphia. Hosted by our friends at the National Association of Attorneys General, the event was focused on protecting and empowering America’s next generation.

During my remarks, I announced another step in the wireless industry’s efforts to educate parents about wireless online safety. CTIA has developed six simple tips for parents to start the discussion with their kids about their behavior in a mobile environment. To make it easier for all of us to remember, we used the word “SAFETY” as an acronym:

• “S” stands for “Smart.” The industry provides a lot of features and information for parents on how to keep their kids safe. While parents want to be with their children at all times, so we can protect them, it’s not always possible. That’s why parents need to educate their kids about smart wireless behavior.
• “A” stands for “Aware.”  Unlike TV, movies or music, wireless is an interactive service. This means parents need to be aware of how kids are or can use these products and services. By understanding what’s available, parents can determine what responsible wireless behavior means for their kids.
• “F” stands for “Familiar.”  CTIA is encouraging parents to know their child’s wireless plan, cell phone features, parental controls and privacy options. Wireless service providers have this information on their web sites. 
• “E” stands for “Experience.” Today’s kids and teenagers think one of the coolest things is getting a new cell phone. They love to communicate with their friends via text or through one of the many available mobile applications and social networks. As parents and policymakers, it’s important that we experience wireless devices in the same manner as our children. By embracing these new experiences, parents will be better informed so they can set their family’s guidelines and rules.
• “T” stands for “talk.” Keeping an open dialogue is important and it encourages kids to talk to their parents about how they are using their cell phone. CTIA believes that proper wireless behavior begins with the five “W’s” of wireless.
  o Who is your child contacting?
  o What should kids be doing on their cell phone?
  o When and Where can they use their cell phones?
  o Why all of this is important?
• “Y” stands for “Yearly Review.” As your child grows up, it’s important to keep your family’s rules and guidelines updated to reflect new technologies and your child’s new age. 

The SAFETY Tips are just one of the many tools the wireless industry provides for parents to help educate and encourage their kids in responsible and safe use of cell phones. 

You can download your copy of this informative pocket-guide  today. For more information on keeping your kids safe in a mobile environment, please visit www.wirelessfoundation.org.  

An everyday citizen happened to notice a woman in distress as she was being carjacked and abducted at gunpoint. Claudio Veras immediately used his cell phone to call the police, and then proceeded to follow the car, assist in the capture of a criminal, and ultimately help save a life. To see how Claudio's heroic story unfolded, check out the February installment of CTIA’s Wonder of Wireless webcast.

The wireless industry joins parents in their commitment to wireless child safety through initiatives such as the Wireless Child Safety Task Force and reinforcing responsible use tips. To learn more watch this segment from our January installment of our Wonder of Wireless webcast, and take a few moments to check out the numerous helpful resources the Wireless Foundation has regarding wireless child safety on its website. 

Maryland's Joshua Hartman made the call of a lifetime two years ago, when he came to the rescue as his dad was suffering a heart attack. Joshua, who was 7 years old at the time, and knew to call for help on a cell phone his dad had just bought for him that day, quite likely saving his father's life! Watch Joshua recount the heroic feet in our January installment of our Wonder of Wireless webcast.

This morning the National Safety Council announced it now supports a total ban of cell phone use while operating a vehicle. There is no question that irresponsible use of a wireless device is on the long list of potential driving distractions, including the NHTSA documented number one driver distraction of drowsiness.  The industry agrees with the National Safety Council and numerous other well-regarded safety organizations on several safety issues, such as bans on text messaging while driving and restricting cellular use by teen or inexperienced drivers. But when looking at the implications of a total ban, it's important to look at all of the situations that can occur and consider the ramifications of a total prohibition.

 For example, should a mom or dad be prevented from taking a call from their 14 year old daughter, telling them the movie she was at ended a lot earlier than expected, and that she and her friends were out front waiting for a ride home? Or that their young son was at a different entrance to the mall or the school with his friends, and they wanted to tell their parent there had been change of plans and they were somewhere else? How many times a day in the country do you think a businessperson needs to let a client know they're running a few minutes behind for that important meeting, and that a call, dialed sensibly and kept brief, could inform the client and maybe save a deal and certainly soothe any hard feelings from a misunderstanding. Calls to or from day care, the school nurse, your boss... there's a long list of very real scenarios that illustrate practical needs to responsibly make or take a brief call. 

We believe that safe, sensible, and limited use of a cell phone when you're behind the wheel is possible. There are certainly inappropriate times to make or take a call, and your number one driving priority is always operating the vehicle safely. The fact of the matter is there are numerous well-known and proven driving distractions, and addressing just one of them (and one that by many accounts is significantly down the list) could very well lead to a false sense of security for drivers. There are reckless and inattentive driving statutes on the books in all of the states, and law enforcement officers have the discretion to enforce those as they see fit. We completely support that action.... If someone is driving irresponsibly because of cell phone use, they ought to be cited for that. And under current law, they can be. 

The industry also has a long-standing commitment to a public service announcement campaign regarding safe driving, and that includes a new set of radio ads which we offered to co-brand, at no cost to them, with state chapters of the Governor's Highway Safety Association. We are also proud of the fact that nearly 300,000 calls are made every day to 911, via a cellphone. The devices are perhaps the greatest safety tool we have today, and as I said earlier, there are a multitude of scenarios where responsible, sensible, safe, and brief use is possible and should be a part of any discussion.