The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Erie County (Pa.) government unveiled two projects financed by a $500,000 contribution provided by LECOM. The county used the funds to support two important initiatives, upgrading the Blasco Memorial Library and for the purchase and installation of mobile computers in emergency service vehicles.
 |
|
| One of the 103 mobile data terminals installed in emergency service vehicles. |
The county Public Safety department used most of the funds, $350,000, to purchase and install mobile computers in 40 fire vehicles and 63 ambulances used by volunteer and municipal fire departments throughout the county. These computers are linked directly to the county dispatch center, which can improve communications between emergency crews on-scene and the dispatch center. Fire fighters and ambulance crews are able to see locations, injury descriptions, hazardous waste reports and other data sent immediately to their vehicles.
 |
|
| Brian and Jacqueline Carlson use one of the new computers in the Family Learning Center with their daughter Ashley. |
The Blasco Memorial Library received the remaining $150,000 to upgrade computer equipment used by library patrons to access the Internet, search library catalogs, and educate children. The county also unveiled the Dr. John M. Ferretti and Dr. Silvia M. Ferretti Family Learning Center. This new area in the library computer lab provides early childhood learning computers and software that parents and children can explore together. The LECOM contribution also allowed the library to replace all 34 of its computers in the Internet lab and to transform the online catalog into a user-friendly search engine.
The contribution of $500,000 came after three months of negotiations in May of 2012 over the tax-exempt status of LECOM and its affiliates of the Millcreek Health System. In exchange for the county receiving this contribution, the Erie County Board of Assessment Appeals has agreed to drop its challenge of the tax-exempt status.