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wQ ORANGE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES POLICY HANDLING THE DECEASED PURPOSE: It is the purpose of this policy to insure EMS personnel have the proper guidance when death is encountered. The policy will address the necessary procedures as well as professional consideration for family, friends, witnesses and dignity for the deceased. INTENT: The intent of this policy is to define the responsibility of EMS personnel and to establish procedures to be followed in cases involving deceased patients. The procedure will address the deceased in the home environment, deceased in the violent death environment, and deceased in a crime scene environment. PROCEDURE: HOME ENVIRONMENT For the purpose of this procedure, home environment refers to patients expiring from natural causes under the care of a physician and not involved in an accident or a crime. • The EMS personnel will verify death by the accepted criteria, then follow these guidelines: 1. Family members should be professionally informed that the patient is deceased. 2 . Obtain the name and number of the patient' s physician and the funeral home of their choice. 3 . Make contact with patient' s physician, giving patient' s name, age, sex, medical history and complete circumstances surrounding the death. Ask if the physician wants a post or just to release the body to the funeral home. If the physician cannot be reached, the Medical Examiner is to be notified. 4 . If the physician agrees to certify the death or the Medical Examiner instructs to release the body to the funeral home, assist the family in contacting the funeral home, giving the family name, deceased name, direction to the residence and the name and instruction of the physician.