Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile Offers Cellular Safety Tips During National Wireless Safety Week

WALLINGFORD, CN — More than 18,000 calls a day are made to 9-1-1 or other emergency numbers for help from wireless phones.

In the Northeast, Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile customers have used their cellular phones to report everything from traffic-related incidents and drunk drivers, to car jackings and robberies, to medical emergencies.

"A large number of today's good Samaritans are found on cellular phones," said Jack Plating, president of Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile's Northeast region. "The anytime, anywhere communication provided by cellular technology has empowered people to help others and themselves in ways they never could before."

This week, May 6-10, Governor Rowland has declared "Wireless Safety Week" throughout Connecticut in conjunction with nationwide efforts by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), the international organization of the wireless communications industry. In recognition of Wireless Safety Week, Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile has identified the following tips for wireless phone users when dialing 911 to report emergency situations.

The tips are designed to help emergency operators quickly and effectively respond to emergency wireless phone calls.

• Dial 911 only to report emergencies.

• Tell the operator that you are calling from a cellular phone.

• Provide your exact location -- the city/town and state. If you're on the highway, indicate, the nearest mile markers or exit names (not numbers).

• On local streets, indicate the street on which you are traveling, your direction, and the name or number of the nearest intersecting road.

• Describe the emergency in as much detail as possible.

• Provide your name and ten-digit cellular phone number so you can be contacted for further information if necessary.

• If you are reporting a crime in progress, do not try to stop the criminal yourself; wait for police.

• Listen to the dispatcher and follow all instructions.

• Stay on the line until the dispatcher has all the information needed.

  Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile's regional headquarters is located in Woburn, Mass., with a region-wide workforce of 1,025 people. The company recently announced a new voice-activated dialing service, TalkDial(SM), which offers added convenience and time-saving benefits to customers.

  With more than three million customers, Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile is the largest wireless service provider on the East Coast. Based in Bedminster, N.J., the company offers a full range of wireless voice, data, and paging services in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, Southeast and, through a separate subsidiary, in the Southwest. The company was formed in July 1995 through the combination of Bell Atlantic Mobile's and NYNEX Mobile's cellular operations.

  NYNEX is a global communications and media company that provides a full range of services in the northeastern United States and high-growth markets around the world, including the United Kingdom, Thailand, Gibraltar, Greece, Indonesia, the Philippines, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

  The Corporation is a leader in the telecommunications, wireless communications, cable television, directory publishing and entertainment and information services.

  FAX copies of recent NYNEX news releases are available free of charge, 24 hours a day. Call 1-800-331-1214 and an automated system will provide instructions.

####