KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho — Kootenai County commissioners approved an agreement Tuesday that details the use of a new refrigerated morgue trailer that will be shared with Benewah and Bonner counties.
The morgue trailer is intended for “mass fatalities,” defined as more than five deaths in a 24-hour period or resulting from a sole incident, as reported by our news partners, the Coeur d'Alene Press.
Kootenai County Coroner Warren Keane told commissioners in March that acquiring the funds to purchase the $56,000 trailer took a “Herculean effort” from county staff.
The money came from multiple sources, including grants from the State Homeland Security Program, American Rescue Plan Act funds from Kootenai and Benewah counties and converted excess funds from fiscal year 2021, as well as proceeds from the sale of one of Kootenai County’s three body coolers.
All three contributing counties have now signed off on the shared use agreement. Each county is permitted to use the trailer at no cost in the event of a declared mass facility and must maintain adequate insurance coverage.
The trailer will be stored in Kootenai County when not in use. Non-contributing counties may request use of the trailer when it is available.
In the event of mass fatalities in multiple counties, use of the trailer will be prioritized based on the availability of community resources.
Keane also told commissioners on Tuesday that staffing challenges facing other entities have left the county with only one company it can work with to transport the deceased to the lab in Spokane.
The board may wish to put out a request for proposals in order to find other interested parties, Keane said.
“Or it may go the other way, which the commissioners have been reluctant to do, to build a freestanding lab to meet all the needs of the county,” he said.
Commissioner Leslie Duncan indicated that the board will arrange a special meeting in the near future to address the matter.
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