The Office of the Coroner is a separate and independent division of county government that is funded through the Adams County Board of Commissioners by the citizens of Adams County. Through an intergovernmental agreement, this Office also provides death investigation services to the City and County of Broomfield. This agreement generates revenue for Adams County and provides the City and County of Broomfield with a vital public service. The two counties also share the 17th Judicial District.
The Office of the Coroner serves the living by working on behalf of the deceased to obtain the truth about the circumstances of their death. Although the Office works closely with other entities and professionals to accomplish this, the Office is independent of all other entities: law enforcement agencies, physicians, nursing homes, hospitals, defense attorneys, prosecution attorneys, etc.
The Office employs a total of twenty individuals. Twelve of these individuals are Death Investigators. Investigative staff is scheduled to cover 24 hours a day, every day of the year, to receive death reports and to respond to death scenes. This typically results in only two Death Investigators working at a given time.
The Office receives death reports from and responds to death scenes in ten cities (Arvada, Aurora, Brighton, Broomfield, Commerce City, Federal Heights, Northglenn, Strasburg, Thornton, and Westminster), one town (Bennett), as well as all of unincorporated Adams County; covering a combined geographical area of approximately 1,210 square miles.