Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Hi I run a mortuary transport service in the United Kingdom and I have been approached by the emergency services with a view to putting together a fatal accident retrieval team.
The reason we have been approached is that though the team i have are all undertakers, my service doesn`t carry out funeral services only the transportation of bodies throughout the UK.
If any police officers would like to share any thoughts regarding their experiences at fatal accidents and how the states deal with scene safety, and what services remove the victims, or if you had the ability what would you do to make the scene of a fatal accident flow more smoothly i would lie to hear or share ideas.

In my state , the body cannot be moved until the Coroner releases it. Then, it is picked up by an ambulance transport ( privately contracted through the county) who takes it either to the hospital or a funeral home. This depends on if an autopsy is needed or suspected or can go to a funeral home if the family requests.

We must do our accident investigation although we don't need the body there the entire time.

My last fatal crash, the body remained on-scene for about 1 1/2 hrs. We hadn't contacted the family yet so he was taken to the morgue at the hospital.

Thanks for the info, and my thoughts go to your colleague.
In the UK we are using emergency paramedic ambulances to remove the bodies at the scene because our there has never been a contract put to funeral parlours, that`s why I want to gain as much research into your different states methods of dealing with the bodies at the scene.
Thanks again and best wishes

Contact the Coroner or Chief Police Officer for the area you work. If the body is a crime victim, there may be chain of custody issues.

In our jurisdiction, if the person is deceased, a Government Undertaker (local mortician with the contract) is responsible for removal of the deceased and subsequent transport to a place for certification of death, and then to the State Coronial Services. Ambulance only transport if there are signs of life.