Mason County coroner seeks federal grant to fund autopsy room, accreditation and regional services

Mason County’s coroner and facilities staff asked commissioners for support to apply for a competitive federal grant to build an on‑site autopsy suite and pursue accreditation.

Coroner’s pitch: The coroner said the proposed facility upgrades include stainless steel venting, a high‑wash station and mechanical upgrades to ensure compliant drainage and handling of biohazardous waste. Staff said the upgrades are necessary to meet accreditation standards and improve the county’s ability to process decedents locally; coroner staff noted the county has acquired a new fingerprint machine that improves identification workflows and feeds into criminal justice databases.

Grant request: County staff said they will apply to the BJA (Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program) for up to $500,000 to help build and equip the autopsy suite. The grant is competitive but could also create an ongoing revenue opportunity if smaller jurisdictions choose to use the county facility for autopsies. Staff told commissioners that partial funding would still be useful and asked for a formal board letter of support to accompany the application.

Why commissioners care: Building an accredited facility could reduce travel and delay for forensic processing, strengthen local identification capacity and support law enforcement investigations. Commissioners also asked about operations, costs and how the county would handle requests from outside jurisdictions; staff said a regional service model could be explored if accreditation is achieved.

Next steps: Staff will prepare the grant application and a draft letter of support for commissioner signature; if the county receives funding, staff will return with detailed project budgets and a procurement plan.