Understanding the Problem About 3,500 US infants die suddenly and unexpectedly each year. We often refer to these deaths as sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID). Although the causes of death in many of these children can’t be explained, most occur while the infant is sleeping in an unsafe sleeping environment. Researchers can’t be sure how…

Online learning, or e-learning, offers a number of advantages for people and agencies looking to develop a new content program or curricula — none bigger than the ability to offer that training anywhere, anytime. That means whether your trainees are all together in a classroom or scattered all over the country in different time zones, they…

The Mayo Clinic defines infectious diseases as disorders caused by organisms — such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. Many organisms live in and on our bodies. They’re normally harmless or even helpful, but under certain conditions, some organisms may cause disease. Some infectious diseases can be passed from person to person. Some are transmitted…

The Science of Forensic entomology is the study of insects for medico-legal purposes. There are many ways insects can be used to help solve a crime, but the primary purpose of forensic entomology is estimating time since death. Once a person dies his or her body starts to decompose. The decomposition of a dead body starts…

The human body burns predictably based it on its anatomical configuration of soft tissues and bones. Fire creates burn patterns to soft tissues: skin, fat, muscle, and then on select areas of the skeleton. These burn patterns convey how the body burned within its environment and if there was any traumatic injury present prior to…

Witnesses are people with information, information you want.  These may be witnesses at the scene, a co-worker, employers, a suggested person from another witness, or those contacted during and area canvass. Keep in mind that you could stumble upon and interview the suspect with out  initially knowing it. Suspects like to be considered a witness,…

One thing you can count on in life is the fact that you are going to die. How’s that for a buzzkill? Most people diligently ignore the reality of their future demise. Thinking about death somehow seems wrong. Luckily, a real life coroner challenged a few thousand internet strangers to do the thinking for you….

An independent autopsy provides cause and manner of death, and answers any remaining questions. About 20 percent of US deaths are subject to investigation by coroners or medical examiners. While autopsies are often done during the course of an investigation, they are not always required. Each case is individually evaluated to determine a cause and…

I have a tendency to try and do everything myself and in some ways it is good and in many ways its bad. It is important to know and understand all aspects of your life and business, but that does not mean having to do all the tasks involved in making it a success.  It…

In the United States (US), Medical Examiners and Coroners (ME/Cs) have the legal authority for the management of mass fatality incidents (MFI). Yet, preparedness and operational capabilities in this sector remain largely unknown Both large-scale fatality disasters, as well as smaller scale incidents with multiple fatalities are referred to as “mass fatality incidents” (MFI). Generally,…