Dead bodies probably wasn’t a topic the Kosciusko County Council was expecting to have during their second day of their budget discussions Thursday, but with the coroner’s request for a second vehicle, the subject arose.
Coroner Tyler Huffer previously sent the council a letter formally requesting the acquisition of an additional coroner vehicle to address “critical operational needs” and to enhance the well-being of coroner’s office personnel. The letter stated the estimated cost initially was $100,000, but following consultations and recent quotes from Crossroads Ambulance, that estimate was adjusted higher to include $48,000 for a Ford Transit vehicle, $50,000 for a used power stretcher and power load system from Stryker and $56,860 interior conversion from Crossroads Ambulance Service for a total of almost $160,000. Inside conversion includes composite flooring, insulated walls, rubberized floor material, HVAC system and emergency lights.
In presenting the 2025 proposed coroner’s office budget to the council, Huffer said their other vehicle was a 2017 and had 74,000 miles on it. Councilwoman Kimberly Cates asked him to explain the reasoning for the second vehicle.
Huffer said the vehicle they have now would be their backup vehicle.
He referenced the six-vehicle crash that occurred on Ind. 15S Tuesday and asked, “What if six of those patients were deceased from that major accident? Those kind of situations do come up.” Huffer said the other day, deputy coroner Larry Ladd was transporting a body to Fort Wayne for an autopsy and there was a bicycle accident in Nappanee. Huffer said response times to fatal accidents may be affected with having just the one vehicle.
Council President Mike Long asked Huffer if he’s looked at contracting with local funeral homes to pick up the slack. Huffer said he has not, but that would require someone from the coroner’s office responding to the scene with their own personal accident. Long said that would be considerably less than $150,000.
“It would be. I agree with that, but other county coroners of our size are going towards these vehicles for the health and safety of their deputies, also, which is a huge one,” Huffer said.
There’s not only the smell of the bodies because body bags don’t contain the smell, but also possible health risks.
Councilman Tony Ciriello, who previously was the county coroner, asked Huffer how many times a year did he think there was an issue where the first vehicle was tied up on one call and another call came in.
Huffer said there were 16 times last year when there were at least two calls at the same time.
Councilwoman Kimberly Cates asked Huffer if he currently pays his deputies mileage if they use their own vehicle. Huffer said he was not aware of that. Cates asked if there was a reason.
“I was not aware of that until the other day,” Huffer said, but according to Ladd that’s never happened before.
“We’ve never paid mileage,” Ladd, a previous county coroner, said.
Cates said that could be a consideration.
“Or it’s included in their fee,” Councilwoman Joni Truex said. “... I understand that your job is vitally important. I would never want your job. Ever. However, the fee that they receive for a call is exactly how much?”
Huffer said $170. Truex said that should include the mileage because “they may only be there for a few minutes or they could be there for hours. There’s no way to know.”
Cates said they also have to do paperwork.
“So we are traveling around the county sometimes trying to find the next of kin. So we are doing that as well,” Huffer said.
Truex asked if the coroner’s office does notifications, and Huffer said yes. She thought law enforcement did that, and Huffer said sometimes they do depending on what’s going on.
“The primary responsibility for notification falls on the coroner,” Ciriello stated.
Giving her opinion, Truex said safety was the biggest issue, not how many miles are driven or paying mileage to deputy coroners.
“Honestly, I would never want to be in a vehicle with a body that was putting me at risk because of the odors and because of whatever. You don’t always know what toxins are in the air,” Truex said. “In my opinion, the important part here is the safety and the health of our coroner and deputy coroners.”
In the big scheme of things, when other departments are purchasing big dump trucks and tandems, she said no one blinks at them.
“This will be a very long-term investment for the county. I’m not expecting to get another vehicle for 10-15 years from now, and the cost now will be cheaper than it will be in 10 years from now ... with inflation going on in this day and age,” Huffer said.
Councilwoman Sue Ann Mitchell said there might be a possible alternative vehicle - a pickup truck - that might be available within the county.
Huffer said they could use a van perhaps as a second vehicle for situations that require the transport of two deceased people or more, but it wouldn’t fit the safety features needed.
Mitchell asked if a pickup truck could meet the needs with a topper on the back that would seal off the body from the coroner driving.
While Huffer said it was a possibility, Ladd stated, “My thought there, Sue, would be, do you want a loved one in the back of a pickup truck? Whether it’s enclosed or not.”
Ladd said it’s not a good situation for families to know that their departed loved one was transported in the back of a pickup truck. He said he and Huffer had talked about a minivan for the immediate future if the county doesn’t go with the request. However, the immediate goal would be to provide the coroner’s office with the requested Ford Transit.
Long asked about funeral homes retrieving bodies and if the coroner’s office responds to every deceased individual.
“If someone were to die in your home, in their own bed, and not be discovered for several days, is that automatically coroner’s office or is that a funeral home going to retrieve that body?” Long asked.
Huffer said that depends on the situation.
There was discussion about the ventilation system and lift system needed for the vehicle. Ladd said he would never be without the powerlift today because they’re seeing more people who are 300 to 500 pounds and the cot just lifts them right up.
“Sometimes we even have trouble fitting them in to the Expedition. Minivans we wouldn’t have that problem, but another vehicle like an Expedition or an Explorer, that I had, you would still have that height issue,” Ladd said.
Truex said she didn’t think they were going to find another vehicle for less than $48,000. Even a used ambulance will cost more than that.
“I think they’ve done their homework. I really believe that their proposal has been thoroughly thought out. It’s been researched. It’s not like coming in and saying, ‘We’re going to spend $2 million over here.’ I really believe that this is a valid ask,” Truex stated.
Long said he was a little concerned that the letter was sent requesting $100,000 but now it’s up to $150,000. Huffer said $100,000 was the initial estimate.
Cates said Huffer had no other additions in his budget and he’s being pretty frugal on everything else. She said it’s better he’s done his due diligence now rather than later.
Truex pointed out that bridges don’t ever come close in price to their original estimate. “I just think we’re making a mountain out of a mole hill for $60,000,” she said, considering what other budgets are.
County Administrator Marsha McSherry, in a side note to Huffer, said, “Whatever you decide here, you’re approving the dollars, but you have to go before the commissioners to get approval to purchase the vehicle. So they may have some thoughts, too.”
No decision on the vehicle was made at Thursday’s meeting.