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Chester County Coroner's Office
Chester County Coroner's Office Hosts Continuing Education Training on Xylazine
(More than 160 people, many representing the first responder community, attended the Chester County Coroner’s Office xylazine training event)
The Chester County Coroner’s Office hosted Xylazine: Arrival, Trends & Effects of this Prevalent Drug, its first-ever continuing education training seminar/webinar, on Friday, September 15.
Xylazine is a large animal sedative used as an adulterant in illicit drug mixtures, commonly combined with fentanyl, and is referred to as “Tranq.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved it for veterinary use only as there are no known uses for human consumption. Xylazine causes tissue necrosis (tissue death) in all body areas, not just at the injection site, leading to sepsis and sometimes amputation, ultimately leading to death.
Over 160 people attended the training in person or virtually. They included staff from the Chester County Coroner’s Office/Medical Examiner’s Office, Department of Emergency Services and Department of Human Services, law enforcement officers, first responders, rehabilitation professionals, and others. Speakers from the FBI, the Chester County Department of Drug & Alcohol Services (D&A), the Coroner’s Office, and others discussed how xylazine has infiltrated the illicit drug scene across the country – including in Chester County – its devastating effects on the human body, and treatment options.
National Coroner and Medicolegal Death Investigator Appreciation Week (January 23rd-29th)
The Chester County Board of Commissioners proclaimed January 29th, 2023 as National Coroner and Medicolegal Death Investigator Appreciation Day with an official proclamation that you can view HERE. The Coroner's Office appreciates the recognition by the Commissioners, which highlighted the dedication and commitment of our office to the citizens of Chester County. As "last responders" we can experience secondary trauma and emotional fatigue due to the nature of our work, but we continue to work tirelessly to investigate all deaths reported to our office with the utmost integrity and compassion.
(from left to right: back row- First Deputy Coroner Jesse Poole-Gulick, Deputy Coroner Greg Allen, Deputy Coroner Devyn Grasso, Chief Deputy Coroner Caroline Johnson, Commissioner Josh Maxwell; front row- Commissioner Michelle Kichline, Coroner's Office Manager Jennifer Polonoli, Coroner Sophia Garcia-Jackson, and Commissioner Marian Moskowitz.)