This summer, I was contacted by a former co-worker of mine to help repair a computer for Dale Volunteer Fire Company in the Dale Borough section of Johnstown, PA. The system wouldn’t boot properly and it was the only computer they had. They needed this up and running in order to track calls and perform other administrative functions.

Upon reviewing the system, I found that the motherboard was most likely defective. It would not consistently boot properly or POST. I decided to get the motherboard replaced because it was more cost effective than purchasing a new PC. The PC also was relatively new and had good hardware in it for what it was used for. The motherboard replacement fixed the issue.

I was then asked to help create photo ID badges for all fire department members. They were required to start wearing ID badges when on call and had received a MAGiCARD Enduro+ printer secure ID card printer from a state grant in order to help facilitate this.

To get them their IDs, I took everyone’s picture with a digital camera then imported them into a program called Alpha Card ID Suite. This program came with the printer and allowed me to design and print the IDs. While doing this, I created detailed documentation and screenshots of the process so that they could easily create cards on their own. I even created and saved a template of the badge and contacted a local graphic design company to get a logo file sent to me for on the badge.

This was a small and relatively simple project, but it was rewarding donating my time to a great organization. For my efforts, I was given an honorary social membership to Dale Borough Volunteer Fire Company.