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New St. Croix County medical examiner warns of surging caseloads, asks for equipment and disposal support
Summary
Tina Forrest, St. Croix County's newly appointed medical examiner, told the Public Protection Committee the office is '200 cases over our previous year' and outlined immediate needs including a second striker/cutter, correct blood tubes for Randox testing, biohazard pickup and lift equipment to reduce staff injury risks.
Tina Forrest, the newly installed medical examiner for St. Croix County, briefed the county's Public Protection Committee on operational strains and equipment needs after two days on the job. "We are 200 cases over our previous year," Forrest said, and added that the total included nine additional scene investigations through March and three homicides.
Forrest described multiple operational challenges: heavier decedents that make manual handling unsafe with aging equipment; a rising number of biohazard-contaminated items that require proper red-bag removal; and a Randox toxicology testing platform that initially produced false positives because the county's locally supplied blood tubes lacked required additives. She said the department historically received tubes from a partner lab (NMS) but will need to budget for correct consumables as that partnership supplies fewer free tubes.
Forrest asked the committee for investments to mitigate injury risk and maintain testing accuracy. She noted the department has requested a second striker/cutter for a smaller transport van (a used unit cited as under $5,000), and recommended lift solutions ranging from a capital overhead lift to more cost-effective modified forklift-style lifts with straps. Vice Ramberg and Administrator Witt clarified procurement rules: Witt said items over $5,000 would typically be handled as capital improvements, while items below that threshold are operating expenses.
Committee members raised immediate procurement questions. Sue Varsley asked whether the biohazard disposal and cutter costs were included in the proposed 2026 budget; Forrest said the striker/cutter is in the 2026 budget but biohazard pickup and correct blood tubes were not yet researched or budgeted and would require attention.
Forrest also warned of future refrigeration and cremation capacity constraints as out-of-state cremation requests increase, and the committee agreed to schedule a site visit to the medical examiner's office so members could see operations firsthand.
What happens next: Forrest and county administration will refine cost estimates for biohazard pickup, blood-tube purchases and lift options and present these items for inclusion in the 2026 budget process. The committee plans a site visit to the medical examiner's office.
