Medicolegal Death Investigator
District 1 Medical Examiner's Office, Pensacola, FL, United States
The District One Medical Examiner’s Office provides medicolegal death investigation services for Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties in the western Florida Panhandle, covering a population of nearly 800,000 residents. Committed to transparency, quality, and compassion, the office operates to ensure comprehensive resolution in death investigations. Our mission is to serve the community with professionalism and integrity, supporting justice and public health.
Role Description
This is a full-time, on-site role located in Pensacola, FL (soon to be Milton, FL), for a Medicolegal Death Investigator. The investigator will be responsible for conducting comprehensive death investigations, including scene evaluations, evidence collection, gathering medical history, conducting next‑of‑kin notifications, and coordinating with law enforcement and other agencies. The individual will document findings, prepare reports, and support forensic examinations and autopsies as needed for determining cause and manner of death.
Responsibilities
Receive notification of deaths from witnesses, medical professionals, law enforcement personnel, funeral homes, or others in attendance.
Investigate causes of unexpected, suspicious, or unattended deaths to determine jurisdiction as authorized by Florida Statute Chapter 406.
Attend death scenes to document the scene, including but not limited to taking photographs and collection of physical evidence; examine the decedent's body for signs of trauma and/or unusual circumstances; verify postmortem changes are consistent with the situation and circumstances.
Coordinate transport of bodies from death scenes to the medical examiner's office.
Work cooperatively with local physicians, healthcare facilities, funeral homes, transplant organizations, and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to ensure optimum standard of investigation is upheld and all necessary information is obtained.
Interview persons who may have information related to deaths including but not limited to family members, friends, physicians, nurses, law enforcement, and EMS.
Obtain medical history, lifestyle patterns, incident information, and other reports related to the case.
Prepare detailed investigative reports in a timely manner.
Confer with law enforcement, hospital, and mortuary officials to obtain dental records, fingerprints, x-rays, or additional specimens as necessary to identify bodies.
Obtain medical records as needed.
Locate/identify next‑of‑kin and notify of medical examiner involvement; advise family members of circumstances and causes of deaths as well as processes and procedures of the medical examiner's office.
Attend court proceedings and give testimony.
Perform other related duties as required by state and national accreditation standards.
Be available to work office hours, after hours, on call, weekends, and holidays, on a rotating schedule or as deemed necessary for mass disaster response or emergency preparedness for natural disasters.
Qualifications
Must sit for and pass the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigation (ABMDI) diplomate exam within one year of employment.
High school diploma.
Current Florida Driver's license or the ability to obtain one within 30 days of employment.
Preferred Qualifications Level I
Prior death investigation or medical experience.
Bilingual: Spanish/English. (pay differential included)
Experience as a Medicolegal Death Investigator I, or equivalent experience in death investigation or medicine.
Preferred Qualifications Level II
Two or more years of experience as a Medicolegal Death Investigator I, or equivalent experience in death investigation or medicine.
Basic to intermediate medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and understanding of common causes and manners of death.
Bilingual: Spanish/English. (pay differential included)
Knowledge
Basic to intermediate medical terminology. Basic to intermediate anatomy and physiology. Basic understanding of death from myocardial infarction, CVA, organ failure, sepsis, accidental and nonaccidental trauma, asphyxiation, and other common causes of death. Basic understanding of the different manners of death. Basic understanding of common prescription, non‑prescription and illicit drugs. Knowledge of medicolegal death investigation policy and procedures and Florida statutes pertaining to the medical examiner (F.S. 406).
Abilities
Evaluate information from medical records. Submit concise and coherent reports in oral and written form. Establish and maintain cooperative professional work relationships with persons from a variety of organizations and agencies. Comfortably assist persons bereaved by the death of a loved one and professionally manage emotional situations related to death. Be able to concentrate on more than one task at a time and to make independent decisions.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations
Must have reliable transportation with insurance and a valid Florida driver's license. Must be able to obtain ABMDI registered status within one year of employment.
Physical Demands
Acceptable eyesight and hearing to perform investigator duties. Able to sit, stand, or walk for long periods of time, to walk up and down stairs, and to get in and out of vehicle repeatedly. Must be able to lift, carry, drag, or push an average body weight of 150 to 200 lbs., both alone and with help. Must have gross motor skills to include hand dexterity, full use of fingers, hands, arms, and good grip strength to perform investigative duties.
Other Requirements
Able to work in hazardous or dangerous work areas or situations. Capable of working under stressful situations and while fatigued. Able to wear personal protective equipment, as required. Able and willing to work nights, weekends and holidays in a rotating schedule or as needed. This position is considered essential therefore you must be able to report to work during times of emergency declaration or mass fatality incidents.
Benefits
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays.
On‑Call pay, shared take‑home agency vehicle for on‑call shifts, and clothing allowance.
All required equipment will be supplied by the employer.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Role Description
This is a full-time, on-site role located in Pensacola, FL (soon to be Milton, FL), for a Medicolegal Death Investigator. The investigator will be responsible for conducting comprehensive death investigations, including scene evaluations, evidence collection, gathering medical history, conducting next‑of‑kin notifications, and coordinating with law enforcement and other agencies. The individual will document findings, prepare reports, and support forensic examinations and autopsies as needed for determining cause and manner of death.
Responsibilities
Receive notification of deaths from witnesses, medical professionals, law enforcement personnel, funeral homes, or others in attendance.
Investigate causes of unexpected, suspicious, or unattended deaths to determine jurisdiction as authorized by Florida Statute Chapter 406.
Attend death scenes to document the scene, including but not limited to taking photographs and collection of physical evidence; examine the decedent's body for signs of trauma and/or unusual circumstances; verify postmortem changes are consistent with the situation and circumstances.
Coordinate transport of bodies from death scenes to the medical examiner's office.
Work cooperatively with local physicians, healthcare facilities, funeral homes, transplant organizations, and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to ensure optimum standard of investigation is upheld and all necessary information is obtained.
Interview persons who may have information related to deaths including but not limited to family members, friends, physicians, nurses, law enforcement, and EMS.
Obtain medical history, lifestyle patterns, incident information, and other reports related to the case.
Prepare detailed investigative reports in a timely manner.
Confer with law enforcement, hospital, and mortuary officials to obtain dental records, fingerprints, x-rays, or additional specimens as necessary to identify bodies.
Obtain medical records as needed.
Locate/identify next‑of‑kin and notify of medical examiner involvement; advise family members of circumstances and causes of deaths as well as processes and procedures of the medical examiner's office.
Attend court proceedings and give testimony.
Perform other related duties as required by state and national accreditation standards.
Be available to work office hours, after hours, on call, weekends, and holidays, on a rotating schedule or as deemed necessary for mass disaster response or emergency preparedness for natural disasters.
Qualifications
Must sit for and pass the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigation (ABMDI) diplomate exam within one year of employment.
High school diploma.
Current Florida Driver's license or the ability to obtain one within 30 days of employment.
Preferred Qualifications Level I
Prior death investigation or medical experience.
Bilingual: Spanish/English. (pay differential included)
Experience as a Medicolegal Death Investigator I, or equivalent experience in death investigation or medicine.
Preferred Qualifications Level II
Two or more years of experience as a Medicolegal Death Investigator I, or equivalent experience in death investigation or medicine.
Basic to intermediate medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and understanding of common causes and manners of death.
Bilingual: Spanish/English. (pay differential included)
Knowledge
Basic to intermediate medical terminology. Basic to intermediate anatomy and physiology. Basic understanding of death from myocardial infarction, CVA, organ failure, sepsis, accidental and nonaccidental trauma, asphyxiation, and other common causes of death. Basic understanding of the different manners of death. Basic understanding of common prescription, non‑prescription and illicit drugs. Knowledge of medicolegal death investigation policy and procedures and Florida statutes pertaining to the medical examiner (F.S. 406).
Abilities
Evaluate information from medical records. Submit concise and coherent reports in oral and written form. Establish and maintain cooperative professional work relationships with persons from a variety of organizations and agencies. Comfortably assist persons bereaved by the death of a loved one and professionally manage emotional situations related to death. Be able to concentrate on more than one task at a time and to make independent decisions.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations
Must have reliable transportation with insurance and a valid Florida driver's license. Must be able to obtain ABMDI registered status within one year of employment.
Physical Demands
Acceptable eyesight and hearing to perform investigator duties. Able to sit, stand, or walk for long periods of time, to walk up and down stairs, and to get in and out of vehicle repeatedly. Must be able to lift, carry, drag, or push an average body weight of 150 to 200 lbs., both alone and with help. Must have gross motor skills to include hand dexterity, full use of fingers, hands, arms, and good grip strength to perform investigative duties.
Other Requirements
Able to work in hazardous or dangerous work areas or situations. Capable of working under stressful situations and while fatigued. Able to wear personal protective equipment, as required. Able and willing to work nights, weekends and holidays in a rotating schedule or as needed. This position is considered essential therefore you must be able to report to work during times of emergency declaration or mass fatality incidents.
Benefits
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays.
On‑Call pay, shared take‑home agency vehicle for on‑call shifts, and clothing allowance.
All required equipment will be supplied by the employer.
#J-18808-Ljbffr