Comfort in hard times

It may seem odd for a coroner to hold an open house but that is exactly what Carbon County Coroner Paul Zamora did this past Saturday. Even though he was unable to attend, the event was a success. People were talking about it on the streets of Rawlins, saying how unexpectedly interesting it was.

Brittany Nyman, Deputy Coroner, provided a tour.

The first two rooms upon entering the building are offices. Zamora's is decorated with display cases showing artifacts he has collected over the years. Brittany pointed out the Zamora was responsible for all the decorations at the new facility. They reflect his personality, help people feel more comfortable and provide an ice breaker when they visit the office.

Nyman also showed off her new office. She said that the entire previous office could fit into her new office space. Previously, the coroner's office had been in a garage. The new office affords a lot more space and privacy.

The facility has a conference room where the coroners can work with other agencies such as the Sheriff's office. Nyman excitedly pointed out the view screen where they could look at pictures without being in each other's way and the white boards that take up an entire wall that help keep notes visible to the entire room.

Nyman said one of the main reasons for the new facility was to provide a place for families where they could be comfortable during their most difficult time. There is now a family waiting room decorated with historical photos from Carbon County which the museum let them copy. The waiting room can accommodate multiple people where the previous facility did not have enough space.

Nyman then showed the new viewing room, the one room Zamora viewed as a must have and is his pride and joy. The room is quiet and beautifully decorated to provide families a warm space while viewing their loved ones. Nyman said that they have flags for every branch of the service to display if needed. She also pointed out that the room does have interior windows with blinds so that if someone is contaminated, or considered evidence, they can keep the door closed with the blinds open so that family members can now have a viewing.

The tour continued to the examination room. Again, Nyman pointed out that two of their previous office could fit into this room. They now have room for two people to be working at the same time without getting in each other's way. Nyman showed off some of the features of this room; the new cooler can accommodate multiple people, extra exam table was given to them by the Laramie County Coroner, a small fork lift assists the coroners with heavy tasks, energy efficient LED lights, special waterproof paint and a washer and dryer incase their own clothing gets contaminated.

Nyman then took the tour to the garage. It is heated for winter time and is large enough that their vehicles can be backed in and door shut so that unloading can take place privately. Nyman is thankful they will no longer have to work on slippery ice in the winter. The new garage has controlled access so that if a funeral home needs to, they can enter (garage only) if the coroners are not available. It can also be used as a mass casualty collection point. It is equipped with white boards that can be used to triage and organize in event of an emergency.

For the open house, displays were set with coroners equipment, an alternative light source kit, finger printing kit, DNA cards, swhich Nyman said can be used to run DNA 50 years into the future, and an assortment of kits to test for drugs and alcohol.

The main tool, according to Nyman, is a good camera. She explained that it is important to take really good pictures, and lots of them, because once people start entering things get moved and the scene is no longer the same. By taking pictures of even the smallest things, pictures can reveal new information afterwards that wasn't noticed at the time.

The garage is also appointed with equipment for lifting which Nyman exclaimed was a real back saver.

As the tour was winding down Nyman said, "My favorite compliment is 'This isn't what I was expecting at all, its comfortable in here'. Its important for people to feel as welcome as possible because they come here because something terrible has happened. They don't need to be reminded why they are here."

That statement seems to wrap up the importance of the new facility. The coroners seem to take a lot of pride in the new facility and rightfully so. It is a space that has been thoughtfully planned out for the comfort of people who are facing tragedy.