ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The chief medical examiner in St. Johns County wants to replace the county’s aging Medical Examiner’s Office.
According to our news partners at Jax Today, Dr. Wendolyn Sneed said the building needs to be replaced and is asking the state for money to build a new one.
A similar request last year was denied by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Sneed said her staff, who serve St. Johns, Putnam and Flagler counties, need more space so they can be prepared in the event of a major disaster.
Sneed said the lack of space coupled with serving multiple counties means the current building would be overwhelmed if a mass casualty event happened.
Funding was initially approved last year for a new building, but the money was cut from the budget when DeSantis vetoed more than $900 million in projects across the state.
Sneed is making the request again to fund a new building. It’s expected to cost $12 million.
In this new attempt to secure funding, Sneed plans to ask for it in phases, instead of all at once and hopes more support will make a difference.
Sneed said the current office has poor ventilation, which makes it hazardous for staff when they’re dealing with people who died from a virus, and the aging air condition system makes it difficult to perform autopsies during the summer.
For some perspective, Jax Today reports that the ME handled:
- 542 cases in 2020
- 433 cases in 2021
- 457 cases in 2022
- 543 cases in 2023
Their current office has storage for 22 bodies and is usually at least at half capacity.