Kane coroner: Mistakes by emergency workers impact budget

The improper handling of dead bodies by local firefighters and paramedics is tainting potential crime scenes and causing havoc with Kane County Coroner Chuck West's budget.

West told a Kane County Board committee Friday that he's seen a growing number of mistakes in the past year where emergency workers botched the handling of a dead body in direct violation of the protocols of their medical system. West said the directive involves establishing that a person is dead with the least disturbance possible to the scene of the death.

Instead, West said he seen "countless times" where items are removed from a dead body, or a dead body with suspicious wounds was transported away from a scene before a coroner's employee had a chance to investigate. Such disturbances make it difficult, if not impossible, for West's office to attest to the circumstances behind a death in a courtroom, West said. Moreover, the mishandling results in double the investigative work and cost for the coroner's office.

The mounting mistakes will be reflected in a larger 2010 budget request for the coroner's office.

"When protocols aren't followed I shouldn't have to pick up the tab," West said.

West's comments drew the ire of county board member John Fahy, who is also a firefighter.

"The fire and police officers of this county are professionals." Fahy said. "We make our best judgment call at that time. Ninety-nine percent of the time it's handled professionally. You're talking about 1 percent of the bodies. So don't say 'countless times.' I do my job. Don't come here with those stories."

West responded that he, too, was a firefighter at one time, and he respects the work of emergency professionals. Indeed, after the meeting, West and Fahy shared apologies for the tenor of the disagreement. However, West said he's not backing down from shining a light on the situation.

"It is a problem," West said. "We're not talking hundreds of bodies. We're talking about enough cases where it has to be addressed. That was my intent, not to offend the firemen."

West said he plans to bring back a more specific count of the mistakes. In a county with more than 2,700 deaths a year, even 1 percent of the bodies being mishandled is too much, West said.