Coroner Technician - Indio Only - County of Riverside
Indio, CA 92201
About the Job
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office is currently seeking to fill two Coroner Technician vacancies in Indio. The incumbents will be responsible for reporting to a Coroner Sergeant, and is responsible for carrying out established procedures. Under general supervision, transports deceased persons from the place of death to a Coroner's Bureau facility; manages the intake and release of deceased persons by performing all duties related to preparing the deceased persons for autopsies; assists Forensic Pathologists with autopsies and photographs autopsy procedures; maintains entire morgue area and equipment in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition; performs clerical work functions and ensures morgue and vehicles are stocked with necessary supplies; and performs other related duties as required.
The Coroner Technician class is distinguished from the Senior Coroner Technician in that the latter is the advanced journey level class and includes lead responsibilities. The Coroner Technician is further distinguished from the higher level Deputy Coroner and Forensic Pathologist class series in that Deputy Coroners provide technical supervision in the field while Forensic Pathologists provide medical supervision during autopsies.
Meet the Team!
The law enforcement professionals of the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, with a staff of over 3,600 dedicated men and women, cover the expanse of over 7,300 square miles in southern California. The Sheriff's Office is dedicated to serving the citizens of its communities with integrity, professionalism, leadership, and loyalty and believes in service above self.
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Assist in gathering and protecting physical, scientific, and pathological evidence (e.g., clothing, weapons, drugs, and bodily fluids) from the scene of death; photograph scenes of death and autopsy procedures.
• Assist Forensic Pathologists in performing autopsies; set up equipment, instruments and solutions; open and close bodies, obtain blood and other fluid samples, excise and weigh organs and record figures; accurately label and store specimens; prepare tissue specimens; and prepare all specimens for transportation to toxicology and histopathology laboratories.
• Maintain vehicles, facilities and all instruments/equipment in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition.
• Photograph deceased persons at the scene of death and autopsy using digital cameras.
• Receive, log, and process bodies including weighing, undressing, fingerprinting, and x-raying as they arrive at a Coroner facility.
• Inventory personal property of the deceased; receive reports of death within established guidelines, and determine whether a case falls within the Coroner's jurisdiction.
• Dispatch Deputy Coroners and Coroner Technicians, and maintain radio and telephone contact with them while they are in the field; receive telephone inquiries and documents any information received over the telephone from families, law enforcement, mortuary staff, doctors, lawyers, and medical and legal personnel.
• Release deceased persons to mortuary or authorized persons upon completion of the Coroner's investigation.
• Prepare and maintain routine investigative files, facility forms, and statistical and daily activity reports.
• Under direction, may tactfully provide information to next of kin.
• May serve as a witness in criminal or civil courts on Coroner's cases.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education:Possession of a high school diploma or equivalent (e.g., GED).
Experience: None required.
Knowledge of: Computers and other office equipment; digital cameras; inventory principles and fingerprinting techniques; basic rules of evidence; basic anatomy; medical terminology; fingerprinting, photography, and x-raying.
Ability to: Learn procedures for gathering information; understand basic rules of evidence; understand basic anatomy and medical terminology; fingerprint photograph, and x-ray; learn the techniques, procedures, equipment, and instruments used in assisting with autopsies; read and interpret government and health and safety codes; deal effectively with distraught persons; prepare clear and concise reports and forms; read a Thomas Brothers map; follow written and oral directions.
Other Requirements
Possession of a valid California Driver's License.
The Coroner's Bureau operates 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. As such, incumbents are expected to work flexible work schedules including rotating shifts, weekends, being on 24-hour on-call status, and may often be required to work overtime.
Physical Conditions:Incumbents must be able to assist with heavy lifting and carrying of deceased persons in difficult types of terrain and weather conditions; independent body mobility to stand for long periods and/or walk on uneven ground or wet surfaces; upper body strength to reach and move objects from high shelves, and lift and carry materials weighing up to 70 lbs.; corrected vision to read standard text, labels and computer display screens; have the physical capability to wear personal protective equipment including whole-body anti-contamination suits, face visors, respiratory masks, and rubber gloves for long periods.
Environmental Conditions:Incumbents will be required to wear personal protective equipment in accordance with applicable occupational safety and health regulations when potentially exposed to blood borne pathogens, airborne pathogens and some harmful chemicals; be required to work in an office, morgue, and all types of field environments; be exposed to inclement weather conditions; work with hazardous materials/substances including sharp implements and tools, odors, tissues, and fluids from autopsy operations.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Pre-Employment:
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of both a pre-employment physical exam, including a drug/alcohol test, and a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment.)
Probationary Period
As an Approved Local Merit System, all County of Riverside employees, except those serving "At Will," are subject to the probationary period provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.
Veteran's Preference
The County has a Veteran's Preference Policy. Upload a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service, and a copy of your spouse's letter of disability (if applicable) with your application. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. See the policy here .
Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: http://dao.rc-hr.com/.
What's Next?
This recruitment is open to all applicants.
Applicants who are current County of Riverside employees and/or current employees of the Riverside County Sheriff's Office may be considered before other applicants depending on the volume of applications received.
Qualified applicants may be considered for future vacancies throughout the County.
Application Period
Applications received prior to the closing date will be considered based on the information submitted. Changes or alterations cannot be accepted. No late applications will be permitted.
Include relevant work experience details on resume and/or application.
Applicants who fail to provide information demonstrating they possess the position requirements may not be considered further in the application process. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered.
For more information regarding the position, please contact the recruiter Ulysses Gerardo at (951) 955-5772 or via email at ugerardo@rivco.org.
GENERAL APPLICATION INFORMATION:
Please read and follow any special application instructions on this posting. Click the 'Apply' link located on this page to submit your application. For instructions on the application process, examinations, Veteran's preference, pre-employment accommodation or other employment questions, please refer to our web site, www.rc-hr.com . A pre-employment physical examination and background check may be required.
MEDICAL/DENTAL/VISION INSURANCE: A choice of different medical, dental and visions plan are available to elect. The County provides a Flexible Benefit Credit contribution as governed by the applicable LIUNA Memorandum of Understanding to contribute towards the cost of these plans.
Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list here .
MISCELLANEOUS RETIREMENT: County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).
- Tier I (Classic Member - Formula 3% @ 60): Applicable to current and former County of Riverside local miscellaneous employees hired prior to 08/24/2012 and did not withdraw CalPERS contributions. The employee contribution is eight (8%) percent.
- Tier II (Classic Member - Formula 2% @ 60): Applicable to local miscellaneous employees 1) hired after 08/23/2012 through 12/31/2012; 2) Previously employed with another CalPERS contracting public agency or a reciprocal retirement system, with a break in service of less than six months between the separation date with the previous employer and the appointment date with the County of Riverside. The employee contribution is seven (7%) percent.
- Tier III (PEPRA New Member - Formula 2% @ 62): Applicable to CalPERS local miscellaneous new members hired on or after the implementation of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) which took effect January 1, 2013. As of July 1, 2020, the employee contribution is 7.25% and subject to change annually.
A new member is defined as any of the following:
CalPERS refers to all members that do not fit within the definition of a new member as "classic members".
Contribution rates are subject to change based on the County of Riverside annual actuarial valuation.
Note:
This summary is for general information purposes only. Additional questions regarding retirement formulas can be sent to retirement@rivco.org or by calling the Benefits Information Line at (951) 955-4981,
Option 2.
If you have prior service credit with another CalPERS agency or within agencies, please contact CalPERS at (888) 225-7377 to determine which retirement tier would be applicable to you. CalPERS is governed by the Public Employees' Retirement Law. The Retirement Law is complex and subject to change. If there's any conflict between this summary and the law, the law will prevail over this summary.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary employee contribution with a choice between two 457 deferred compensation plan options.
VACATION ACCRUAL (Bi-Weekly Accrual):
0< 3 year = 80 Hours (10 Days)
4< 9 years = 120 Hours (15 Days)
10 or more years = 160 Hours (20 Days)
Maximum Vacation leave accumulation is 480 hours.
SICK LEAVE: Four (4) hours Sick Leave accrual per pay period with unlimited accrual.
HOLIDAYS: Normally 12 paid holidays per year
BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: Allowed 5 days (3 days are County paid; 2 additional days can be taken from accrued Sick Leave balance)
BASIC LIFE INSURANCE: Equal to one times annual base salary not to exceed $50,000 of term life coverage. Premiums are paid by the County. Additional Supplemental Life plan is available for employee purchase.
DISABILITY: Short-term Disability benefit pays up to a maximum of $461.54 weekly, payable up to a maximum of 52 weeks.
POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL CONTRIBUTION: A monthly contribution is made by the County towards retiree health insurance offered through the County as governed by the applicable Memorandum of Understanding.
OTHER: There may be other benefit provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding. Please contact the recruiter listed on the job posting directly for more information.