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The Wireless Foundation to Honor Eight with VITA™ Wireless Samaritan Award
June 8, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC – Since 1990, the wireless industry has recognized the efforts of individuals who exemplify the importance of safety first and use wireless technology in extraordinary circumstances. Every day, 911 centers receive more than 296,000 calls from wireless devices providing eyewitness accounts of car accidents, health emergencies, street crimes, drunk driving, domestic violence and other dangerous situations that threaten lives or safety. During tonight’s 15th Annual Achievement Awards Dinner at Union Station, The Wireless Foundation will name eight VITA™ (Latin for “life”) Wireless Samaritans who have saved lives and fought crime using wireless technology.
“The wireless industry is proud to present these eight individuals with the VITA™ Wireless Samaritan Award for their quick-thinking and selflessness,” said Steve Largent, President of The Wireless Foundation and President and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association®. “We are pleased to have more than 270 million wireless subscribers in America – or 84% of the entire population – equipped with wireless devices and able to report emergencies as they happen, aiding first responders to save lives.”
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.
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. Other program elements featured at the dinner event will include:
- Presentation of Wireless Achievement Awards 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.
- Recognition of Get Wise About Wireless poem writing contest winner, 8th grader Sarah Beth Caudill from Owensboro, Kentucky.
- Presentation of 2009 Amy Zoslov Scholarship to Case Western Reserve University Law Student Melissa Yasinow.
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The Wireless Foundation is a non-profit organization that was formed by member companies of CTIA-The Wireless Association® in 1991. The Foundation oversees a number of programs designed to put wireless technology to work addressing the challenges of society.
www.wirelessfoundation.org
