County Opens New Medical Examiner & Forensic Center

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The Board of Supervisors and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Glenn Wagner today opened the County's new, state-of-the-art Medical Examiner & Forensic Center in Kearny Mesa.

“This is critical public infrastructure designed to meet the region’s changing needs for decades to come,” Jacob said. “The center can accommodate a large-scale disaster while prioritizing compassion for grieving families.” Take a look.

The 84,000-square-foot facility at 5570 Overland Ave. includes a Bereavement Center, expanded toxicology lab, teaching classroom and electronic touch-screens at exam stations to better manage cases.

The center meets silver-level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

“Everyday, there are tremendous developments in the forensic sciences. We now have the space to harness those breakthroughs to solve crime, find answers, track trends of disease, trauma, drug addiction and better serve the public,” said Dr. Glenn Wagner, Chief Medical Examiner.

The Board of Supervisors budgeted $85 million for the project; the project came in on time and under budget at $73 million. The County paid for the project in cash. It is the first building to be completed within the larger County Operations Center campus currently under construction.

“Every case is special; it is that person’s last opportunity to tell of their death and their life— a story certainly worth hearing and learning from,” Wagner said.

Smuggled Puppies in Care of DAS

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On Monday evening, 15 2-month-old puppies were discovered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers as a smuggler attempted to bring the puppies into the U.S. at the Tecate Port of Entry to be sold as Christmas presents.

The sick puppies, all described as mixed breed miniature poodles, were immediately taken to an emergency veterinary hospital by Animal Control officers with the County Department of Animal Services. The majority of the puppies has been diagnosed with parvo and will be receiving intensive care provided by County Animal Services or an adoption partner.

The alleged smuggler, Raul Jimenez Gonzalez, claimed a bottle of tequila at the border, but CBP officers observed movement in the back seat of the vehicle. The puppies were found hidden in the back seat under a blanket.

Jimenez admitted to the officers that he was taking the puppies to Los Angeles to sell as Christmas presents. Animal Services had previously rescued 27 puppies in 2006 and 11 in 2007 after smuggling attempts involving Jimenez. The Department of Animal Services is working with Customs and Border Protection to determine what, if any, criminal charges can be filed against Jimenez.

“With the holidays approaching, there is a demand for puppies and this demand results in puppies being smuggled across the border into the U.S.,” said Dawn Danielson, Director of Animal Services.

“Unfortunately, most of these puppies are sick, so the unsuspecting buyer ends up spending a great deal of money trying to save the puppy’s life, usually without success.”

The Department of Animal Services encourages people to visit their local animal shelters or contact a rescue group to adopt a pet during the holidays. For more information on adoptions at any of the three County Animal Shelters, or to view photos of available animals, please visit http://www.sddac.com.

County to Provide Car Seats to Low-income Families

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Thanks to a $207,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety the County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) will improve child safety by offering vehicle protection education and providing 2,000 child car seats to low-income families.

Funding for “Keep ‘Em Safe” comes from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“This is great news for San Diego County families,” said Board Chairwoman Dianne Jacob. “The safety seats will help save lives and reduce the rates of injury during a crash.”

The “Keep “Em Safe” program will be implemented by HHSA’s local partner, the Pacific Safety Council, a non-profit, educational organization providing safety resources and child passenger safety education in San Diego County.

The program promotes the safe transportation of children through a traffic safety education campaign providing a total of 132 safety presentations and 50 safety check-up events throughout San Diego County. At least 2,000 child passenger safety seats will be provided free of cost to people in need through September, 2010.

The goal of the campaign is to increase the proper use of child passenger safety seats and seat belt usage by families; provide safety presentations that include education on the proper installation and use of a child passenger restraint system for children of all ages; seatbelt usage air bag safety; the dangers of leaving children alone in the car, and awareness of SB 255 (Kaitlyn’s Law).

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic crashes are the top cause of death among young children. In 2008, about 4 children ages 14 or younger were killed in motor vehicle crashes every day, and many more were injured, the CDC reported.

“Parents and caregivers can make a lifesaving difference by using age-appropriate, vehicle safety seats,” said HHSA Director Nick Macchione. “Whenever you’re on the road, make sure children are safe and secure, every trip, every time.”

The County and HHSA are strong supporters of programs that provide services on child passenger safety, particularly for low-income families who use safety vehicle seats at lower rates. HHSA’s Community Action Partnership (CAP) has been administering child safety programs for the last five years and this grant is the result of HHSA’s efforts to sustain programs that promote health and safety.