"At Nextel we focus on providing the best service in the industry and it makes me proud to see how Nextel's products and services are supplying a positive wireless experience for our customers," said Tom Kelly, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Nextel. "This contest shows the importance of wireless communications, and each year I am impressed with the wonderful stories customers share on how Nextel has positively impacted their lives."
Nextel awarded prizes to first, second and third place winners in the following six categories: Business Wireless Winner, Wireless Data Winner, Personal Wireless Winner, Worldwide Wireless Winner, Good Samaritan Wireless Winner and Public Safety/Emergency Services Wireless Winner. First place winners received a $500 American Express Gift Cheque and a $500 credit on their Nextel bill. Second place winners were awarded a $250 American Express Gift Cheque and a $250 credit on their Nextel bill. Third place winners received a $125 American Express Gift Cheque and a $125 credit on their Nextel bill.
First place winners in each category are as follows:
Business Wireless Winner: Michael Kissel of Saint Charles, Mo., was working in a Level 1 Trauma Center Emergency Room when a major lightning storm disrupted the hospital phone lines. Patients began to fill up the beds and there was no way to notify the floor staff of the influx in admissions. Using his Nextel phone, which held great signal strength even during the storm, Kissel paged admission teams and moved patients to receive treatment. As ambulances continued to roll in, staff was successfully mobilized to provide the best care to each patient.
"My Nextel phone is now a constant presence along side my stethoscope as a tool of my trade."
Worldwide Wireless Winner: In the midst of finalizing his daughter's adoption in Mexico City, Marcel Maheu of Germantown, Md. needed some quick legal advice. Using Nextel's International Direct Connect(SM), Nextel's digital walkie-talkie service, Maheu was able to immediately speak with his lawyer in the United States, who helped him complete the adoption proceedings.
"Nextel not only saved my day but the whole month that I was in Mexico, with a crisp clear reception. Nextel helped me bring my daughter home."
Wireless Data Wireless Winner: While responding to a motor vehicle accident, Fire Captain Paul Shannon of Wharton, Texas, needed to contact a helicopter to provide air transportation for the victim. When other GPS units faltered, Shannon was able to use his new Nextel i860 phone with built-in Assisted Global Positioning Satellite (A-GPS) capabilities. He quickly provided coordinates to the rescue helicopter, and the patient was successfully taken to a trauma center to receive treatment.
"I will never leave home without my i860, it's a life saving tool to me. I impressed everybody that day - that's how my business gets DONE."
Safety Wireless Winner: Thomas Murray of Tinley Park, Ill., a communications officer for his local volunteer emergency agency, is accustomed to being resourceful on the job. When his local 911 service went down due to utility phone work, Murray used Nextel Direct Connect(R), the instant digital walkie-talkie service, to communicate with police and fire officials until a backup radio system was established. Never skipping a beat, Murray was able to use Nextel service for the next five hours to respond to emergencies.
"With the help of Nextel, public safety was never compromised."
Personal Wireless Winner: During the recent extreme hurricane season, Charlotte Lehmann of Milwaukee, Wis., relied on her Nextel phone to communicate when it mattered most. After Hurricane Charley hit her winter home in Florida, electrical power and telephone service were interrupted by the rain and wind, and local roads were obstructed by piles of debris. Lehmann was able to stay in contact with her family, friends and her homeowners insurance company, all with her Nextel wireless service. For Lehmann, having a Nextel phone was not a luxury but a necessity during this hurricane season.
"My wireless phone was a comfort; I was able to talk to family and my homeowners insurance company. For me, Nextel is a winner."
Good Samaritan Wireless Winner: Nichelle Mitchell-Huizar of Phillips Ranch, Calif., used her Nextel phone to get her brother quick medical attention and help police catch a fleeing drunk driver. While at work, Mitchell-Huizar received a Direct Connect call from her brother who had just been hit by a drunk driver and was pinned inside his vehicle. She called the police dispatch directly, and the paramedics were able to immediately respond. Her brother also gave Mitchell-Huizar details of the assailant's vehicle using the digital walkie-talkie service, which she shared with the police in time to apprehend the driver.
"My brother's life was out of jeopardy and the drunk driver was off the streets because Nextel saved us precious time."
Second and third place winners in the six Wireless Winners categories are:
Business Wireless Winners
Second Place: Meteorologists are consistently tasked with having the most up-to-date and accurate information. John Joy, who works at a local television station in Grand Rapids, Mich., uses his Nextel phone to access and evaluate real-time radar information. Station meteorologists use Nextel's wireless data service to stay up-to-date with the latest radar imagery when they're in the field. Reporters use laptops equipped with Nextel modems to send scripts back to the station for broadcasts.
"Nextel's wireless Internet has improved our productivity since we no longer need to phone in the script."
Third Place: In the boat towing and salvage business, Kermit Koch of Waretown, N.J., recognizes the importance of having rugged and reliable tools such as his Nextel i305 phone. When a recent boat washed up on the beach, Koch was able to put his i305 in his wetsuit, swim to the vessel and use the phone to communicate with the salvage team to free the boat from shore. Despite the physical conditions, the Nextel i305 allowed clear, reliable and consistent communication for Koch's team so they could get the job done.
"Without our i305's, this salvage could not have been accomplished."
Wireless Data Wireless Winners
Second Place: Jacquelyn Senyczko of Howell, Mich., uses her Nextel service to stay in touch with her husband while he serves in the Army in Iraq. They communicate with text messaging on her Nextel phone, and she uses the keyboard accessory so they can easily talk anywhere on Nextel's Nationwide Network and at anytime without the use of a computer, enabling them to feel connected even though they are thousands of miles apart.
"Thanks to Nextel I don't have to miss an opportunity to be able to talk with him."
Third Place: As an computer engineer for a local high school, Darrick Murphy of Cincinnati, Ohio, uses his Blackberry(R) 7510 Wireless Handheld(TM) from Nextel to resolve technical issues no matter where he is on the school grounds. Murphy remotely monitors his task lists, updates the helpdesk database and receives emergency notifications from the school's servers, all without paper or having to go back to his office.
"As well as utilizing the Direct Connect and mobile phone features, I find the units wireless data features invaluable. I always know if and when a problem arises."
Worldwide Wireless Winners
Second Place: While traveling in Mexico, Derrik Watson's fiance Sonia Jimenez of La Mesa, Baja Calif., noticed a girl stranded with a broken car on the side of the road. The frightened girl needed a way to contact her family back in San Diego. Jimenez called the girl's parents back in the United States. for help using the Nextel worldwide service as well as International Direct Connect to contact Watson about her delay in travel. Nextel's international service allowed Jimenez and Watson to stay in touch and help a very appreciative fellow traveler.
"I was very glad that she had worldwide service and the ability to radio me with her Direct Connect, even while she was in Mexico."
Third Place: Staying in touch with family is very important to Roberta Rosen of Miami, Fla. On a recent worldwide vacation, Rosen was able to talk with her daughter everyday using Nextel's international service and not miss out on any conversations whether it be an update on her grandson or providing directions to a local Miami restaurant to those back home.
"My Nextel international phone and service makes us feel connected, even though we could be thousands of miles away."
Safety Wireless Winners
Second Place: As an officer in the New York City Police Department, Manuel Soto recognizes the important role communication can play in public safety. During the Republican National Convention this year, Soto's unit was issued Nextel phones for coordination-focused communications, which allowed them to manage the large number of events and people in the city that week. Soto had used Nextel as a personal customer, but was even more impressed with the way the products and services thrived in his professional environment, giving law enforcement officials another way to get things done.
"Needless to say, the Nextel system was a great asset in streamlining our on air correspondence throughout the convention. It has now set a high standard for me both personally and professionally."
Third Place: Stephanie Morgenroth of Havre de Grace, Md., is a volunteer firefighter/EMT with a rural fire company in Northern Baltimore County. The company uses Nextel phones to keep in touch, as their 800 MHz radio system does not always function effectively in extremely remote areas of their territory. During Hurricane Isabel, the unit's communications center failed and Nextel Direct Connect was the only service available, enabling rescue workers to respond quickly to emergencies.
"Without Nextel, those 48 hours of rain and wind would have been even more devastating. Life-saving communications. Done."
Personal Wireless Winners
Second Place: An avid runner, Carol Duchscher of Orlando, Fla., trains for her marathons early in the morning before the sun rises. One morning a pick-up truck with two men was following Duchscher and frightened her. She quickly picked up her Nextel phone and used Direct Connect to immediately contact her daughter with her current situation and location. While speaking with her daughter, the truck quickly changed course and sped away, leaving Duchscher safe.
"I'm certain that without the quick response of my Nextel radio, something more drastic could have happened to me. Thanks Nextel. I will never run alone without you!"
Third Place: Troy Flodin of Kalamazoo, Mich., and his fellow engineering students at Western Michigan University, recently used Nextel phones while designing and evaluating their soapbox for an annual derby contest. During testing, Nextel Direct Connect was used to navigate the course, communicate timing between the racing team and facilitate adjustments in the car, increasing its speed and effectiveness.
"With the distance and low visibility of the course, we used our Nextel Direct Connect to communicate with each other successfully. Thanks to Nextel the car was tested safely multiple times."
Good Samaritan Wireless Winners
Second Place: John Bachert of Laporte, Ind., was on his way home from work one day when he noticed a young girl waving him down on the side of the road. He pulled over to find a woman in labor, about to give birth. Bachert used his Nextel phone to call 911 and the women's husband. The husband spoke to his wife on the Nextel speakerphone, keeping her calm and providing words of encouragement while Bachert helped deliver the baby. Bachert completed his first successful delivery, moments before the ambulance arrived.
"I put him on speakerphone and explained that his wife was going to have the baby any minute and asked him to talk to her and keep her calm and I would do my best to deliver the baby. Mother, baby and father (on speakerphone) are just fine."
Third Place: Jani Cauthen, a resident of Brooklyn, N.Y., recently witnessed a hit-and-run accident. With her Nextel i860 camera phone, Cauthen was able to take a clear picture of the car license plate as the driver was fleeing the scene of the accident. The picture was later provided to the police and helped them solve the crime.
"This is one of Nextel's greatest inventions."
About Nextel
Nextel Communications, a FORTUNE 200 company based in Reston, Va., is a leading provider of fully integrated wireless communications services and has built the largest guaranteed all-digital wireless network in the country covering thousands of communities across the United States. Today 95 percent of FORTUNE 500(R) companies are Nextel customers. Nextel and Nextel Partners, Inc. currently serve 297 of the top 300 U.S. markets where approximately 262 million people live or work.
© 2005 Business Wire
