Scott County Coroner -- Scott Amick

Name: Scott C. Amick

Party: Democratic

Date of Birth: Sept. 27, 1957, Cape Girardeau

Spouse, children: Not married; Brandon, 27, Britne, 24, Blake, 23. Occupation: Embalmer and Funeral Director at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapels in Benton, Chaffee, Oran and Scott City.

Employer: Self

Businesses owned: Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapels in Benton, Chaffee, Oran and Scott City

Public offices held: Member of Scott City School Board; Scott County Coroner, 1984-present.

Question 1: What is the most important issue facing the Scott County Coroner?

Answer: It is important that the people of Scott County have a coroner who is capable of carrying out the duties of coroner from day one.

Question 2: What in your background or education makes you qualified for this office?

Answer: I have served the Missouri Coroners and Medical Examiners Association in every office, eventually serving as president of the association. I have served on the associations' ethics committee since I left the office of president in 1989.

I am a 1976 graduate of Scott City High School, attended Southeast Missouri State University, and I am a 1979 graduate of Kentucky School of Mortuary Science.

I attended the St. Louis Medical Examiners basic death investigators course in 1984 and their masters course in 1985. I attended the Central United States Earthquake Consortium in Emmetsburg, Md., which was hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Association in 1987, to train various agencies in responding to and handling mass disasters. I am a qualified mortuary disaster coordinator. Annually I receive 20 hours of medicolegal death investigation training to keep up with never-ending changes in my office. I have also received extensive training in Child Fatality Review and Investigation through the Missouri Police Chiefs Association and the State Department of Social Services Division of Legal Services State Technical Assistance Team. I have also attended annual homicide seminars hosted by the SEMO Major Case Squad.

Question 3: Why are you better qualified than your opponent?

Answer: I believe my training is my qualification, I have certificates to back up each and every one of them. While Mr. Huey's intentions are admirable, he just doesn't have the qualifications or ability to perform this job at this point in his young life.

Question 4: Do you propose any steps that would make the coroner's office more efficient?

Answer: I would like to see the county provide adequate funding to the coroners office so I may provide more responsible and timely services to the people of Scott County. Presently I have no deputy coroner or secretary; it's difficult to find someone willing to be on call around the clock for the presently approved annual salary of $3,000. Every other office holder in this county is afforded adequate staff and personnel. In the past my deputy coroners have also been employees of my funeral home who were basically imposed into serving. The county needs a holding cooler so that when a family is not available to make a decision on a funeral home choice or if the body is to be autopsied, the remains can be held safely without imposing on private facilities that are not necessarily secure. No other officeholder is expected to run and fund their office personally; I don't believe the coroner's office should be the exception.