Oak Ridge, North Carolina Residents Honored with VITA™ Wireless Samaritan Award

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For Amber and Jeremy Engel of Oak Ridge, North Carolina, cool-headed thinking and a cellphone helped them safely deliver their newborn son. The Engels were presented with a VITA™ Wireless Samaritan Award by The Wireless Foundation and CTIA-The Wireless Association® at the 17th Annual Achievement Awards dinner on Monday, June 6 for using their cellphone to contact 911 and deliver their son before first responders could arrive on the scene.

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When Amber Engel went into labor at her home on Valentine's Day, she and her husband, Jeremy, immediately rushed to the hospital. On their way, they became snarled in rush hour traffic as Amber's labor was progressing rapidly. When it became clear that the baby was going to arrive before they reached the hospital, they pulled over and Jeremy dialed 911 and received real-time medical assistance to safely deliver their baby. Shortly after, first responders, including firefighters, police and paramedics arrived on the scene.

"We congratulate Amber and Jeremy for the birth of their son, Colin, who was clearly in a hurry to be born. Their use of a cellphone for real-time assistance from emergency personnel is a great example of the convenience of wireless technology in an emergency situation and we are proud to honor them with a VITA Wireless Samaritan Award," said Steve Largent, president of The Wireless Foundation and president and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association.

The awards are presented annually to recognize Americans who used wireless technology to save lives, stop crime and help in other emergency situations. Recipients are the epitome of good Samaritans who put safety first and use wireless to help those in need. With more than 300,000 wireless phone calls made to 911 every day, the awards also reinforce the crucial role wireless technology plays in emergencies.

Thanks to their lifesaving actions, Amber and Jeremy were selected by a panel of law enforcement and emergency response representatives. There were nine VITA Wireless Samaritan Award recipients from across the nation.

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

SOURCE The Wireless Foundation