Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor
Warren County’s preliminary discussions to create a regional morgue in its former jail site have gained new urgency.
Dan Bruno, the Glens Falls Ward 4 county supervisor who chairs the Facilities Committee, told the April 21 county board meeting they’ve heard Saratoga County might do something similar, and there is concern other counties, or Albany Medical Center itself, might jump in and do a regional morgue closer to Albany.
A morgue in Warren County “would be a benefit to the County, the region and the City,” Mr. Bruno told The Chronicle Monday. “It’s a good thing, economically.”
He said lack of current local autopsy services costs money, by sending such cases out of the county. And he said there’s a benefit to having a forensic pathology department in the County too.
“There are other factors,” Mr. Bruno adds. “Families don’t want to have to travel an hour or two for these services.”
He said Kevin Hajos, County Superintendent of Public Works, is hiring an architectural engineer to draw plans and cost out retrofitting the jail.
“I think most people would be behind this,” Mr. Bruno says. “But you need to look at the cost first.”
He said the County has not yet communicated with Glens Falls Hospital, other hospitals or counties that might also use the facility — and possibly help fund it.
Glens Falls Hospital spokesman Ray Agnew, in response to a Chronicle inquiry, said, “Forensic autopsies are done here, but not by Glens Falls Hospital docs. We rent space to the counties and they provide the physician.” Mr. Agnew added, “We were not aware of this but believe this could be a good thing for the region to have a dedicated space.”
The morgue idea is on the Facilities Committee agenda for its monthly meeting, Friday, April 28, at 9 a.m., in person or on YouTube.
Mr. Bruno said, “In my background” as a construction engineer and project manager “you’re better off having something in hand before you go to them. What’s the cost, where will it be, what will it look like? You want to go with as much information as you can.” He said the committee has talked about it for “a couple of years,” especially now that recent remediation efforts at the old jail were completed.
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