This position typically provides the conduction death investigations, including violent, suspicious, unexpected, and unattended deaths to determine the cause and manner of death as required by law; and deals courteously and effectively with fellow employees and citizens.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Performs investigations including those of all suspicious and violent deaths, deaths that occur less than 24 hours after hospital admittance, emergency room deaths, traumatic death, hospice deaths, military deaths or those deaths involving abuse of the deceased.
• Identifies the deceased in a timely manner through various methods but not limited to photographs, fingerprints, dental records, medical records, facial recognition systems, law enforcement systems and through coordination with possible family members or others, then locates and notifies the proper relatives of a death in the family.
• Responds to scenes, take photographs, interview witnesses, perform preliminary examinations on the deceased, obtain fingerprints, take statements, collect toxicological specimens, and maintain the integrity of evidence.
• Identifies wounds, blunt trauma, sexual assaults, pattern injuries, etc.
• Utilizes the assistance of medical and law enforcement personnel to determine the cause of death to determine if the death was natural, accidental, homicidal or of other causes.
• Recommends to the coroner whether an autopsy is necessary and communicates and coordinates with forensic pathologists.
• Assists the Coroner in holding inquests, conducting Coroner Reviews and may testify at trial.
• Issues subpoenas for medical records, issue burial removal permits, certify death certificates, authorize cremations, and handle the dispositions for unclaimed and/or unknown remains.
• Maintain thorough and complete coroner’s reports on every case.
• Issues burial removal permits and authorizes and issues cremation letters to appropriate parties.
• Contacts and communicates with other agencies such as SLED, toxicology, forensic pathologists, law enforcement agencies, funeral homes, and other agencies in gathering and providing information pertaining to a decedent.
• Assist the Coroner in conducting coroner’s reviews and may be called to testify at trials.
• Obtain medical records in a timely fashion.
• Assists relatives of deceased as to issues regarding payment of insurance policies or burial benefits by providing information concerning circumstances of death.
• Signs death certificates, takes statements, subpoenas records and maintains permanent records on every case.
• Works closely with the County's Emergency Management team if a disaster should occur.
• Works with closely with funeral homes and organ procurement organizations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• High School diploma or equivalent;
• 2 years of experience in medicine or law enforcement; or equivalent combination of experience and training which proves the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work.

Special Requirements:

• Must obtain the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy Coroner Certification within 1 (one) year of employment;
• Must be able to obtain an LE 3 certification through the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy within one (1) year of employment; Employee will be asked to resign or will be separated from employment if required certifications are not maintained.
• Must be able to obtain the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators certification within 24 months of employment; Employee will be asked to resign or will be separated from employment if required certifications are not maintained.
• Must attend death investigations training. Incident Command Training or any other training that is required or requested.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license for South Carolina with safe driving record;
• Departmental testing may be administered during interview;
• An extensive criminal background check will be completed on selected applicant if a current one (less than 3 years old) is not on file.
• This is a safety sensitive position and is subject to random drug and alcohol testing.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Skill in using personal computers including Word or other commonly accepted word processing application.
• Demonstrate sound time-management skills by effectively or efficiently organizing, prioritizing, and completing multiple assignments on or before the designated deadline.
• Contribute to overall county effectiveness by providing critical staff support to task forces and by participating, as necessary, in all assisting all other teams.
• Represent the department and the county professionally and effectively to the community and other department members.
• Attentive to the county’s standards for customer service, accuracy, quality, efficiency and all county policies and procedure ensuring that all work performed, and all staff members meet those standards while exhibiting consistent treatment of all staff.
• Ability to manage inventory and property.
• Ability to make budget recommendations.

This position requires the employee to sit; stand; walk; and use hands to handle, feel, finger, grasp or operate objects, tools or controls; stoop; kneel; crouch and crawl; reach with hands and arms; use mental acuity; and walk, talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift, pull, push and/or move up to one hundred and eighty (180) pounds with one assistant. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

The work is regularly performed in a dynamic environment that requires sensitivity to change and responsiveness to changing goals, priorities and needs. This position will work Twenty-four (24) hour schedule on assigned shift. Scheduled hours/days, job location, duties and any other information contained herein is subject to change. May be required to work extra hours and to perform extra or different duties during emergency situations.