The Press Kit provides information and history on the 911 Cell Phone Bank Program, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization operated by RMS Communications Group, Inc. The 911 Cell Phone bank partners with law enforcement and affiliated agencies to maximize emergency cell phone programs across the nation.
Last updated on May 7, 2008. View our recent Press Releases or for anything previous see our Press Coverage Archive.

About 911 Cell Phone Bank

"Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community."
Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

MISSION STATEMENT: To build a bank of no-cost emergency cell phones for seniors in need and victims of abuse across the country, provide funds for used cell phones through law enforcement and affiliated agencies and enhance safety of vulnerable seniors and crime victims through partners and supporters with similar missions while offering another great reason to recycle cell phones and help keep the environment from e-waste contamination.
    
GOAL: To be the first choice in emergency cell phone management programs for law enforcement, affiliated victim services agencies and senior safety programs.

OVERVIEW:  In May of 2004, the 911 Cell Phone Bank was created to provide an ongoing and readily available source of 911 emergency cell phones and funds to meet unexpected and urgent needs of participating law enforcement and affiliated victim services agencies. The 911 Cell Phone Bank is a nationwide nonprofit program designed to maximize community cell phone donations. To best accomplish this, the 911 Cell Phone Bank has turned to RMS Communications, one of the nation’s largest cell phone recyclers.

Since its inception, the 911 Cell Phone Bank has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars and provided some sixty-thousand emergency cell phones for victim services organizations nationwide. In addition, the 911 Cell Phone Bank has successfully relieved the operational burden of managing an emergency cell phone communication program from participants.

Since the inception of the cell phone, thousands of different models from scores of manufacturers have been produced and with hundreds of new models. According to Inform, Inc., a non-profit independent research organization, about 130 million cell phones are retired each year in the U.S. Other organizations estimate that there may be as many as 500 million cell phones lying idle in the desks and closets of America.

Another survey states that only 2.3% of cell phone users recycle their phones, but 90% of them would recycle them if there were a convenient drop-off location nearby. This is where help is needed to spread the word about participants and supporters.

Many of those old cell phones are valuable—some worth a hundred or so dollars. On the down side, all of them contain hazardous substances that can pose a threat to the environment and to public health if disposed of improperly.

To get the most out of cell phone donations for participants, the 911 Cell Phone Bank determines best use for each cell phone, providing free emergency cell phones and funds for participating organizations.

HISTORY: The idea for the 911 Cell Phone Bank came from RMS Communications CEO James Mosieur. He listened to the problems his recycling customers were having and came up with the innovative idea to give back to the community and provide free emergency phones as a way to motivate cell phone recycling. It was just a simple case of the “Voice of Customer” extending to a well-thought-out solution. 

While working in Florida with law enforcement on cell phone recycling, Mosieur would hear how difficult and time consuming it was to collect cell phones, sort through them to find the right charger and the correct batteries just to find working phones for victims to use. It also took time and money to sort through phones just to send them in to get a little money or to find a place to dump them. These agencies were just sending in the low value or obsolete phones for recycling because they wanted to keep the good phones to provide to victims.  Many times, the abusers, however, would break them, throw them out or sell the good phones. 

Mosieur felt the need to set up a recycling program for the communities that would be easy, save them time and provide greater fund raising capabilities as well as contribute to the green initiative. He came up with an idea to have all collected cell phones sent in prepaid, “bank” free emergency phones he would provide from the low-value phones plus pay agencies for the phones.  He offered a more immediate, compassionate reason for cell phone recycling. 911 Cell Phone Bank emergency phones are free as is the program to participants.

As a result, the 911 Cell Phone Bank now accepts all cell phones and pays the freight. These phones are processed with selected phones made available for victims of crime and seniors in need. Charitable organizations receive funds for the collected cell phones they send in, and local law enforcement receives their bank of free emergency cell phones for victims and seniors in need. In addition, those old cell phones are recycled in an environmentally friendly manner.

Around the same time, the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) and the National Association of Triads, Inc., (NATI) became partners of the 911 Cell Phone Bank. The 911 Cell Phone Bank as an initiative of The RMS Foundation, Inc., received IRS notification as an approved 501(c)3 Public Charity in January of 2007. In April of 2008, during Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the 911 Cell Phone Bank announced its new partnership with the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA).

Please contact us if you would like to get involved or donate your cell phone.
911 Cell Phone Bank
c/o RMS Communications
4551 NW 44th Ave
Ocala, FL 34482
Phone: (866) 290-7864 X1313


Fun Facts
The cell phones retired each year…

• …if laid end to end would stretch from NY to LA 6.6 times.
• …would fill 199 boxcars.
• …would feed school lunch to the 12 million food insecure (either hungry or unsure of where their next   
    meal would come from) American children for 43 days.
• …weigh more than 174 space shuttles.
• …would pay the salaries of members of Congress for over 15 years.
• …would pay the budget of the City of Sacramento, CA for nearly two years.
• …would buy every man woman and child in the United States two double cheeseburgers and a medium     coke at McDonalds…and $1 change.
  

How The Program Works

Click here to see demonstration of How It Works.

We gladly accept cell phone donations. Click here to get a free postage paid mailing label.

• Participating agencies collect cell phones from their communities and send all collected cell phones, postage paid, to the 911 Cell Phone Bank. After receipt, the "best use" for each phone will be determined:
• Cell phones that hold a high market value will be sold. For every cell phone, one working 911 cell phone, as available, will be put into 911 Cell Phone Bank inventory for that community. 
• Cell phones that are best suited for emergency use will be added to an inventory of 911 emergency cell phones.
• Unusable and damaged phones will be responsibly recycled.

• Participating Agencies will receive the market value for each phone (minimum 50 cents) AND have access to the inventory pool of 911 cell phones for victims of abuse and seniors in need.

For additional information, contact:
Linda L. Zimmerman
National Program Manager
911 Cell Phone Bank
(866) 290-7864 X1313
Direct (352) 479-1430