County officials are one step closer to having a morgue. Safety Committee members have received a project update that included a rough draft of building specifications.
The building would be metal fabricated and placed on a concrete slab. Walls would be nine feet tall and the exterior dimensions would be 22 feet by 20 feet. Along with a room for the refrigeration unit that has a six-person capacity, the facility will include a family waiting area and an EMS unloading area covered by an awning.
According to Warren County safety coordinator David Britton, morgues of other counties were toured to generate building specifications. 
“Based on our visit to counties of similar size, that’s where we came up with the draft drawing of the facility that we are recommending,” said Britton. “We want to provide a facility that’s fully functional for EMS staff and funeral home directors to be able to move patients, we still call them patients, from the ambulances to the storage facility and then to the funeral home."
A proposed location is behind Warren County Ambulance Service on Magness Drive with the entrance located off Omni Drive.
“It’s a unit that would not require manpower to be on site,” said Britton. “This is something we could lock up and have someone available as needed. The entrance at the front of the building would be for the family to use. An entrance to the side of the building would be for picking up and unloading. We thought that would be best so family would not see their loved one being picked up or dropped off.”
Missing from the plans is a bathroom.
“Could we look at a simple restroom in the family waiting area,” said Commissioner Les Trotman. “It wouldn’t have to be anything major. Just a sink and a toilet.”
Britton agreed. “That would not include much cost at all,” he said.
River Park Hospital is helping the county put together handling procedures that outline the process that will be taken by Warren County and River Park in the transport and care of the individuals until their families can be notified and the funeral home selected.
 “This is just a draft,” said Britton. “We do have a very good working position with the hospital in trying to get final details worked out. They are working with us. I’m very proud to report that. We do have a draft, but it’s not finalized.”
When finalized, the procedures taken will be made public. A cost estimate is not known.
The proposal was unanimously approved by Safety Committee members Commissioners Teddy Boyd, Sally Brock, Ron Lee, Charles Morgan and Trotman.
Cost of the facility is not known at this time. The dimensions and aspects of the facility will be used to obtain quotes and Britton is exploring the possibility of Federal Emergency Management Agency funding.