Aftermath Attends The 2018 Florida Association of Medical Examiners Conference

Last month, Aftermath Senior Manager of Law Enforcement Rodney Tower traveled to the state of Florida to attend the 45th Annual Florida Association of Medical Examiners Conference. The event was held at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, bringing together nearly 100 medical examiners, doctors, and other professionals working in the field of forensics. Sponsors included the District 14 Medical Examiners Office & University of Florida College of Medicine, William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine, in collaboration with Medical Examiners Commission Florida, Department of Law Enforcement. Read on to learn more about MEs and the purpose of FAME:

What is FAME?

According to the Florida Association of Medical Examiners (FAME) website, FAME is committed to upholding excellence in the practice of forensic pathology. The organization aims to unite Florida’s twenty-four medical examiner districts by providing networking opportunities, an atmosphere for professional development, and a forum to discuss solutions to both professional and administrative issues that face district and associate medical examiners daily.

Conferences give MEs access to up-to-date information regarding the latest topics in forensic medicine and death investigation. These gatherings are specifically targeted to Medical Examiners (Forensic Pathologists), Death Investigators, Law Enforcement Personnel, Attorneys, and Forensic Medicine Students.

The Duties of a Medical Examiner

In the United States, the investigation of suspicious, sudden, or unexplained deaths is usually performed by a coroner system or a medical examiner system. These systems may be organized at a county, regional, or state level, depending upon the laws of the state. Florida is organized into 24 Medical Examiner districts. Each medical examiner district is headed by a district medical examiner. To see a map of the districts, click here.

Medical examiners use information from autopsies, medical records, and circumstantial evidence to determine basic information surrounding a death. It is important to note that only a small percentage of deaths require an autopsy, but in cases where the cause of death is not apparent or is otherwise suspicious, a medical examiner will address the situation. By studying blood, organs, and body fluids, they are often able to provide an accurate determination as to the time and cause of death. Medical examiners called upon to testify in court and are considered expert witnesses in various types of court cases.

Vending at This Year’s FAME Conference

Attending this year’s FAME was a first for both Rodney and the company. In addition to time spent in the vendor hall, attendees and vendors were both invited to a dinner social each night. Rodney gave away three prizes, including two of Aftermath’s new blue line t-shirts, and a 5.11 Tactical Bag with PPE kit. “Many of the MEs I spoke with were interested in knowing we are a service provider in their area. Offices sometimes keep a list of providers, but in many cases, they have limited information to give to victims and families. It was a good conference to attend as we seek to spread the word about biohazard cleanup throughout the state of Florida.”

Aftermath Supports Law Enforcement

Aftermath is a proud supporter of law enforcement nationwide. We attend conferences like FAME to showcase our services and enable professionals in the law enforcement field to have the information needed to help educate their communities on the risks of biohazards. If you are a member of law enforcement, discover how we can assist you further by visiting our website.