Douglas County board to consider $380,000 imaging system for coroner

The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to consider a coroner’s proposal Sept. 22 to buy a refurbished whole-body imaging system for $380,000, along with a separate $40,000 retrofit for the coroner’s office.

Both requests are on the board’s consent agenda, and county staff reviews recommend approval, according to the meeting packet. The scheduled consideration is a pending proposal, not a final purchase or approval.

Coroner Raeann Brown is proposing a refurbished Lodox Statscan VE-1 to replace the office’s unsupported single-shot X-ray system. The coroner’s proposal says the existing equipment has reached the end of manufacturer support, creating risks related to equipment failure, unavailable parts, technical support, calibration and loss of forensic imaging capacity.

The proposal says the Lodox system could produce a full-body scan in about 13 seconds, with images available immediately for review. The office estimates it could save roughly an hour in cases requiring full-body radiographs and reduce lifting, rolling and repositioning of decedents, potentially lowering employee exposure to biological, chemical and radiological hazards. The images would provide preliminary information to be considered alongside autopsy findings and other evidence, the proposal says.

A June 2 budgetary quotation lists a $325,000 base price, $10,000 for delivery and shipping, and $45,000 for a three-year extended warranty. The quotation excludes taxes and any required bid fees, estimates delivery 90 days after an order and says it is not binding until accepted and signed by authorized parties.

The board packet does not identify the funding source for either request. It also lists the $40,000 retrofit separately; the quotation says site renovations would be the buyer’s responsibility and does not include an itemized renovation scope or cost.