Position Summary

Under the supervision of the Coroner and the Chief Deputy Coroner, the full-time Deputy Coroner assists with the investigation of deaths reported to the Coroner by seeking, gathering and documenting pertinent circumstantial, historical and other medicolegal data. The full-time Deputy Coroner assists the Coroner with identification of cause and manner of death, preservation of evidence, notification of Next of Kin and interagency communications. The full-time Deputy Coroner also facilitates the transportation, admission and release of the deceased at the York County Coroner’s Office and Morgue. It is important to know that Deputy Coroners in York County are appointed by the Coroner and serve at the pleasure of the elected Coroner.

The full-time Deputy Coroner will: have knowledge of investigative practices and forensic medicine; be able to manage the physical and emotional demands of responding to death scenes and trauma scenes, including working with the deceased and their surviving Next of Kin; be familiar with interpretation of the electronic health record and paper health record; be able to take call during all hours of the day and night, if needed; be able to manage and supervise other deputy coroners on assigned weekends; possess the interpersonal skills required to interact effectively with grieving family members; have excellent written and oral communication skills; have basic or advanced knowledge of medical terminology; be familiar with case management and multi-tasking in an often extremely busy office setting; maintain a calm, supportive demeanor when interacting with family members of the deceased; assist the Coroner with community education/outreach when needed; assist the Coroner with additional staff training and in-services; assist in cremation authorizations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Availability during assigned shifts to respond immediately to dispatches from County Control and other agencies in York County, including to jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional cases
• Conduct death investigations in York County, including examination of deceased bodies, photography, interviews, obtaining records, follow-up with Law Enforcement and healthcare providers and collection of evidence and personal property; scenes will include homicides, suicides, accidents, natural deaths and others to be determined
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to walk, sit, talk or listen
• Will be required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell
• The position will involve considerable exposure to unusual elements such as extreme temperatures, dirt, dust, fumes, smoke, unpleasant odors and loud noise
• Ability to lift, carry, drag, or push an average body weight of 150 to 200 pounds, alone or with assistance
• Fields office telephone calls when available; communicates with decedent families by phone, explaining autopsy and toxicology reports and referring them to outside sources as needed
• Issues death certificates in the PA electronic death registration system
• Assists in identifying decedents and locating next of kin utilizing various tools/training
• Reads through and utilizes the electronic health record system to help determine cause/manner of death
• Regularly consults with family physicians and forensic pathologists as needed
• Proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Assists in writing press releases regarding coroner cases
• Receives verbal reports from physicians and nursing staff regarding jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional cases and transcribes the information into the case management system
• Receives detailed case information from 911 dispatchers, EMS and Law Enforcement prior to responding to a scene and eventually transcribes that information into the case management system
• Communicates with funeral home personnel on a regular basis regarding decedent affairs
• Enters written documentation of case investigation into case management system within 24 hrs
• Conducts interviews of family and/or next of kin at case scenes
• Forensic photography and collection of some evidence
• Coordinates transport of decedent from scene to funeral home or morgue
• Coordinates scheduling of autopsy, if indicated
• Obtains toxicology and other lab draws if no autopsy will be scheduled
• Notifies Next of Kin of decedent deaths
• Testifying in court as indicated
• Assists in approving all York County cremations
• Assists in submitting de-identified case data to multiple entities for tracking and research
• Supervises part-time deputies during assigned weekend on a rotating weekend basis
• Assists in scheduling part-time deputies as needed so that all shifts have ample coverage
• Responds out to scenes with part-time deputies (if needed) when supervising
• Assists in following up investigations for other death investigators who are off duty
• Assists in peer auditing and review of reports of other investigators for accuracy and timeliness
• Submits records requests to secretary or outside agencies when needed
• Assists in conducting staff training/in-services as needed
• Assists with community education if requested/needed
• May be assigned to committees occasionally to represent the Coroner’s office
• Attends regularly scheduled staff meetings
• Assists with updating policies as needed
• May occasionally need to stay beyond shift as this is a salaried and essential position
• Will work with Coroner and other full-time Deputy Coroners to prepare the office for national accreditation
• Performs other duties, tasks and office functions as determined and assigned by the Coroner or Chief Deputy Coroner

Essential Requirements

• A two or four-year degree in a natural sciences discipline or a death investigation or health-sciences-related field such as nursing, forensic science or criminal justice is highly preferred
• Commensurate   experience in the above fields will be considered in lieu of a college degree
• Experience working with the public, preferably in medical or emergency services settings
• At least two to three years of death investigation experience is preferred
• Basic PA Coroner’s Certification is required or able to be obtained within one year of employment
• Management or Leadership Experience is preferred
• Ability to work as part of a TEAM
• Should be in satisfactory physical condition; a physical exam may be required
• Criminal Background Clearance, Drug Screening and Child Abuse Clearance will be conducted
• Compliance with and understanding of HIPAA
• Must possess or have the ability to obtain a valid PA Drivers’ License within a reasonable amount of time and prior to starting employment
• Safe driving record with the ability to safely operate a County response vehicle
• Must possess basic and advanced computer skills such as report writing, familiarity with Google Chrome, Microsoft Word, Outlook, Powerpoint, Excel and Adobe Acrobat
• Must be comfortable with conducting internet research relative to the position
• Excellent ability to establish priorities, work independently and proceed with objectives without immediate supervision
• Must complete 8 hours of coroner’s continuing education annually
• Accurate and detail-oriented
• Must possess excellent time-management and organizational skills
• Must sometimes work during County Holidays as this is an essential employee position
• Ability to maintain emotional stability to cope with human suffering, emergencies and other stressors

Preferred Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Prior experience in a coroner or medical examiner’s office OR experience in a medical or pre-hospital setting OR at least 3 years of Law Enforcement experience OR Mortuary OR Funeral Home Experience
• Registry Certification by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI) is also   preferred and will be required to be in process within two years of fulltime employment in this role if already Basic PA Coroner-Certified or within one year after Basic PA Coroner’s Certification is attained
• Knowledge of York County policies and procedures
• Knowledge of laboratory safety procedures and standards
• Knowledge of the rules of evidence and court procedures
• Knowledge of safety standards and universal precautions
• Excellent customer service and telephone etiquette
• Knowledge of Coroner's Office Rules and Regulations
• Knowledge of PA Laws affecting Coroner’s Office Operations