It’s a grave situation.
Local officials are lobbying for a new medical examiner’s office, saying the outdated existing facility will no longer be able to handle “projected increases in caseload.”
But increased bodycount from the area’s population boom, the county said, is only part of the problem.
The current District 23 office at 500 San Sebastian View is inadequate on a number of fronts and suffers from “antiquated technology and limited operational space,” according to a release.
The agency handles cases for St. Johns, Putnam and Flagler.
Deficiencies include the lack of a “decomposition room,” poor ventilation, limited space for staff to carry out their tasks, and the absence of a private family consultation area.
The county also noted a lack of “robust security features to safeguard sensitive materials and information.”
Officials will lead a tour of the facility on Friday to illustrate the need for an overhaul.
The demonstration will stress “the importance of investing in a new, modern Medical Examiner’s Office that will further the administration of justice in Flagler, Putnam, and St. Johns Counties,” officials said.
By some estimates, an already growing St. Johns County could double in size to more than 600,000 residents over the next five decades.
