County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio said the money is “not only a blessing, but the beginning of what my office is about to embark on” and will benefit residents countywide.
“One of my goals when I became Lehigh County Coroner was to exhaust every resource in locating and obtaining funding for the coroner’s office,” Buglio said in a news release. “My management team has been working endlessly to find grants and funding that the coroner’s office can apply for and qualify for.”
Buglio began leading the office in the spring, when the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners unanimously appointed him to the position during a April 13 meeting. He was the only applicant, replacing Eric Minnich, who was elected coroner in 2019 and resigned April 1.
The state grant was secured by Sen. Pat Browne, according to the release.
“The coroner’s office serves in an indispensable role in our county and it is vitally important that we ensure that they have all of the tools necessary to carry out their essential mission,” Browne said. “These funds will ensure that when the coroner’s office is needed, they will have the proper communication equipment and technology available to respond effectively.”
The money will go to replacing portable and mobile radios that are over a decade old with new, triple-band portable radios, Buglio said, as well as replacing radios in coroner’s office vehicles.
“Communication is the life line for deputies as they respond to on-scene calls and mass casualty incidents,” he said. “At any given and unexpected time, portable radios are used in full communication capacity with police, fire, emergency medical services and emergency management, and the 911 Communications Center.
Deputy Michael Bartholomew, a field supervisor and community liaison for the office, will oversee the project.
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