Darlington County Coroner J. Todd Hardee has been awarded national Diplomat status in the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI).
With Hardee’s inclusion, only nine of South Carolina’s 46 county coroners have now earned this designation.
When deaths occur, investigators such as coroners are involved in establishing the cause of death and the identification of the deceased.
In 1998, after research revealed a lack of regulation in the skills needed to properly and successfully perform the job, the ABDMI was established to encourage and enhance professional standards, and to test and certify investigators on a national level.
Hardee said while he expected the test to be tough, it was even more involved than he had anticipated. “I assumed the test would be based mostly on practical knowledge, but I have to tell you, it literally covered everything. It was probably the most comprehensive test I have ever taken.”
To earn the title of Diplomat, applicants must have logged a minimum of 640 hours of death investigation, including natural death, unnatural death, and crime scene investigation.
Before being approved to sit for the test, they must have worked a minimum of 4,000 hours in their field over the past six years, be currently employed in the medical examiner/coroner field and successfully complete more than 300 tasks in 52 categories.
The physical examination, which lasts eight hours, consists of 240 questions in eight categories, including investigating specific death scenes; investigating multiple fatalities; investigating atypical death scenes; investigating institutional deaths; demonstrating leadership skills; demonstrating legal knowledge; communication skills; and demonstrating advanced forensic science knowledge.
To maintain certification, Hardee attend 45 hours of continuing education during the certification period.
“Anything I can learn, anything I can do, or anything I can be involved with to help me be a better coroner, count me in. The people of Darlington County deserve the best, and that is exactly what I intend to give them,” Hardee said.
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