Elevator service has resumed at Tullio Towers in downtown Erie after disabled residents were stuck for days due to both elevators being out of service.
Charles Becker, a disabled senior living on the seventh floor, reached out to JET 24 for help after being unable to leave his apartment for five days. Calls to apartment management had gone unanswered.
Broken elevator at Erie apartment building causes issues for disabled residents
John Grappy, Director of the Erie County Department of Public Safety, coordinated with emergency services after the County Executive learned about the situation through the news.
Emergency dispatch alerts were established for Tullio Towers, ensuring first responders were aware they needed to use the stairs during the elevator outage. John Durlin, Erie County 911 Coordinator, expressed concern about the impact on emergency response times, noting that first responders would take longer to reach patients when using stairs.
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A team from Otis Elevators repaired one of the elevators, accompanied by city patrolmen, following a meeting between the city’s code enforcement officer and apartment management. Steve Yurkewicz, Assistant Manager of City of Erie Code Enforcement, warned that if both elevators fail again, the property could be declared uninhabitable, and management would be responsible for relocating residents…