The Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OFPS) and Office of the Chief Coroner (OCC) seeks a professional to provide coroner and transportation dispatching and morgue attendant duties. As an integral team member, you will work on rotating shifts within a 24/7 schedule, including statutory holidays and weekends as required.
About the job
In this role, you will:
• Receive and appropriately direct requests for the services of on-call Coroners and Forensic Pathologists and body removal services located across the province by following standard operating procedures, directives and guidelines
• Receive bodies/remains to the morgue for storage and post mortem examination by weighing the body/remains, and assigning appropriate storage
• Advise and release bodies to legally entitled individuals/agencies and ensure paper work (i.e. Warrants for Post Mortem Examination) is in order for both incoming and outgoing bodies/remains
• Maintain continuity of evidence and ensure appropriate handling procedures
• Responsibly attend to inquiries from investigators, medical professionals and the public and route media enquiries to appropriate management staff
• Communicate with next-of-kin regarding body identification, releasing of body/remains for disposition to funeral services, and providing various information (i.e. obtaining Medical Certificates of Death)
• Appropriately triage after-hours calls including forwarding calls, if required, to Regional Supervising Coroners and after-hours on-call staff
What you bring to the team
Mandatory requirements
• Ability to work rotating shifts in a 24/7 environment, including evenings, nights, weekends, and statutory holidays, as required.
• Ability to work in an environment with frequent exposure to human remains, including handling and contact with bodies that may be contaminated, decomposed, extensively injured, and/or affected by arthropod activity.
• Ability to work in conditions involving frequent exposure to strong and potentially unpleasant odours.
• Ability to work safely in environments with potential exposure to infectious agents (e.g., viruses, bacteria, and communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis), while adhering to established health and safety protocols and universal precautions.
Computer and Software Skills
• You have knowledge of computer database systems such as information/case management systems and other applicable software (e.g, F-Path, CIS and QuinC) to enter and retrieve information, utilize MS Outlook, and MS Word.
• You have the ability to learn and effectively use telephone and dispatch technologies in a high-volume, 24/7 environment, including softphones, headsets, call-recording systems, and Computer-Aided Dispatch systems to support the assignment of Coroners across the province based on geographic location.
Oral Communication, Tact and Interpersonal Skills
• You can respond promptly and professionally to regular and after-hours inquiries from a range of contacts to ensure evidence is maintained and investigations are conducted in an efficient and timely manner.
• You have patience, empathy, and tact to effectively communicate with bereaved individuals and next-of-kin immediately following a death, both in-person and over the phone, to provide information, explain procedures, and respond to questions.
• You can communicate effectively in situations involving heightened emotions or potential for extreme behaviour, maintaining professionalism while managing challenging interactions.
• You have strong attention to detail when communicating and recording sensitive information, ensuring accuracy and completeness in a fast-paced environment.
Technical Knowledge and Skills
• You have knowledge of, and experience with, procedures for handling human remains and related evidence, including continuity of evidence, health and safety requirements, and universal precautions.
• You have the ability to assess incoming and outgoing bodies/remains and determine appropriate actions to ensure compliance with legislative, investigative, and safety standards.
Reasoning, Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills
• You can identify priorities and matters requiring the Chief Coroner's or Chief Forensic Pathologist's attention.
• You are able to review and interpret a variety of documents (e.g., warrants for post-mortem examinations, police sudden death/occurrence reports, morgue records, funeral home releases, subpoenas, and related correspondence) and coordinate pertinent paper flow within the branch.
• You can determine the nature of calls received from external organizations and make decisions concerning the permissibility or confidentiality of information requested.
• You can compile, report, and analyze data and statistics in response to requests from Coroners (e.g., number of calls on a specific case).
General Knowledge
• You have the ability to acquire and apply knowledge of statutes and legislation related to the death investigation process (i.e. Coroners Act, Anatomy Act, Trillium Gift of Life Network Act, etc.).
• You can acquire knowledge of relevant ministry and program directives, guidelines, policies and procedures to provide information and report findings to senior management.
• You have an understanding of medical terminology to liaise with medical professionals and others regarding the nature, manner, and cause of death and circumstances surrounding a death.
Don't meet every qualification?
If you are excited about this position and meet most, but not all, of the listed qualifications, please still consider applying. We recognize that no one person might have every qualification in this job ad, and you just might be the right candidate!