Oconee County Coroner's Office Proposal for Funding to Seek Accreditation via the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant

The Oconee County Coroner’s Office in Watkinsville, Georgia, seeks to provide quality death investigation to meet a consistent standard of practice across the United States. The state of Georgia is one of only sixteen states that have any mandated training requirement for coroners, but Oconee County does not have the funding to do more than meet this requirement. As the only two employees managing a rapidly increasing need for quality death investigations, the coroner and deputy coroner are dedicated to bringing Oconee County to the forefront of Georgia’s coroner offices not only to provide the highest quality care in their own county, but also to lead the way for other smaller offices in the state of Georgia to seek accreditation in the future. Funding via the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement grant would be used to create the necessary written protocols to apply for accreditation, as well as the costs associated with applying for accreditation through the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners, including costs for two auditors to do an on-site review of the office. The funds would also be used to provide enhanced training for the coroner and deputy coroner and hire an administrative assistant to oversee the accreditation process. CA/NCF