HOUGHTON - Calling all unwanted cell phones.
The Department of Public Safety and Police Services at Michigan Technological University has collected about 60 unused cell phones in the six weeks it has been participating in the 911 Cell Phone Bank Program and the department hopes to come across many more.
Deputy Brian Cadwell, of the Department of Public Safety and Police Services, said they began collecting the old phones in and effort to provide cell phones to those who cannot afford them in case of an emergency.
"We started this in early April," Cadwell said. "We accept old and unused cell phones and we submit them to the 911 Cell Phone Bank Program."
From there, the phones will be refurbished into emergency use only phones and given those who need them, such as the elderly or those who cannot afford them, he said. Forty-nine of the phones collected at the department have been submitted to the program, he said.
Even though the program began six weeks ago, the department plans to keep the program consistently going, so it's never too late to bring unwanted cell phones to the department. The Department of Public Safety and Police Services is located at 206 MacInnes Drive and is open 24 hours a day.
"We will gladly accept them and we're thankful for those who donate them," Cadwell said. "It's better than leaving old ones around thinking you're going to use it someday."
According to the website, the emergency cell phones have already been put to good use. The site features success stories of how emergency cell phones have saved lives, like the life of a woman in Las Vegas. To learn more about the program, visit 911cellphonebank.org.
Stacey Kukkonen can be reached at skukkonen@mininggazette.com.
