6/19/2006 (OKLAHOMA CITY) ? Four customers of Cellular One from Dobson Cellular Systems were named VITA Wireless Samaritans by the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), the company announced today ? the first day of wireless safety week.
The four recipients ? Joe Otto of Anchorage, Alaska; Jack Scully of Erie, Penn.,; Alex Doty of Farmington, West Virginia; and Josh Reiman of Cloquet, Minn. ? are being lauded for using their Cellular One wireless telephones in emergency situations.
Wireless Safety Week runs June 19-23.
?Thousands of Cellular One customers rely on our wireless telecommunication services each day to summon help in emergencies,? said Tom Roberts, Chief Marketing Officer for Cellular One. ?We are pleased to recognize the winners of the VITA Wireless Samaritan Awards during this week set aside to raise awareness of wireless safety.?
Each year, CTIA recognizes the heroic stories of wireless users across the United States who illustrate the important role wireless telephones play in every day life. Cellular One honorees are:
- Joe Otto used his wireless telephone to summon emergency help after he and a co-worker were stranded in remote Alaska during a severe storm. After spending two nights in freezing temperatures with a pack of wolves lurking nearby, Mr. Otto was able to call emergency dispatchers which led to his rescue.
- Six-year-old Jack Scully was able to contact his mother on her cellular telephone after learning about calling for help in a Cellular One-sponsored education program known as ?Special Agent 911.? When Jack's father collapsed in their kitchen and was knocked unconscious, Jack was able to quickly contact his mother on her Cellular One phone.
- A quick call on his wireless telephone helped emergency responders locate 17-year old Alex Doty after he drove his ATV over a 30-foot ravine. Dazed and bleeding profusely, officers say Doty would have bled to death from his injuries had he not been able to summon help with his cellular phone.
- Josh Reiman and his wife Amanda were canoeing on the St. Louis River when their canoe became wedged between two rocks in the rapids. Calling for emergency help, Reiman was able to communicate with rescuers as they worked overhead in helicopters to save the couple.
Industry officials say more than 224,000 wireless telephone calls are made to 911 each day
