CemOps Newsworthy Items
info@cemops.com Result of a recent conversation with a crematory expert. It was brought to CemOps attention during a recent crematory maintenance visit: A crematory recently bragged of having completed 23 cremations in one 24 hour period. In this crematory, is two operating retorts. Both older models, without new cooling technology. With heat up and cool down time, 23 cremations would be physically impossible. AND Extremely unsafe for the crematory operator, handling cremains at such high temperatures. Not to speak about commingling of cremains? HOWEVER The maintenance technician informed me the retort is not being properly cleaned after each case, for processing. That there is a foot deep cremains left in the back of the retort after each is pulled for processing. A problem here, is a lack of crematory inspectors. And a lack of procedures/checks and balances. He didn't know who to go to for reporting such events. That is because there isn't anyone to report this to with most states. There are no cursory inspections. There is nobody to catch these acts. After the Georgia crematory incident, apparently lessons were not learned. CemOps notified the state in question. So far, nothing is happening. WHY? Because nobody in the state knows who to contact. There is no department with the responsibility of checking up on crematories. |
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The Most Recent News in the Nation After the Clayton Smart discovery in Michigan and Tennessee, where over $90,000,000.00 is missing from endowment care funds. This type crime is starting to appear in those states that apparently don't have the proper legislation to stop these people from getting their hands on the funds. They must have found a state where they could more easily gain access to these type funds. CemOps has warned of these type issues for over 4 years now. The state audit agencies don't have the tools available to them to catch these criminals before so much money is already gone missing, and once it is gone - it is gone. And lastly, the families that entrust the care of the cemetery in these owners' possession have nobody to turn to, if they have reason to believe they doubt the integrity of those that own the cemeteries. I have personally related on a number of occasions, where I have had the same issues with nobody to turn to. Being part of the industry with this type frustration is difficult enough. Imagine being completely unaware of the workings of our business, and running into the walls. This is why these families in Michigan and Tennessee question whether their arrangements are safe. They only know the cemeteries are in financial trouble, they don't know the difference between their personal trust accounts or the endowment care funds, and we shouldn't expect them to. They see or read about trouble, and it harms our reputation and credibility in the industry. So families turn to the media, and courtrooms to sort it out. This industry is full of good people, but we don't hear about them in the media. We only hear of the scoundrels because that is what makes news. Most of the honorable industry owners welcome better laws. But we need to find an answer to this ever-increasing issue to slow these accounts. CemOps is here to help. If you are an owner that appears to be in trouble, or an owner that wants to know what you have, or best practices, call. |
Crematories in the News for February 22, 2008 In New Hampshire, a lawsuit against a crematory has been granted class action status. This will certainly be one to watch, as it has wide spread implications. The suit levies numerous complaints for cremating up to three bodies at a time. More information coming on this one. Will this be as bad as the Georgia crematory? In Washington, a funeral home makes a mistake, cremating a man who was not supposed to be cremated until after the family had arrived to view him one last time. The funeral homes explanation, according to the news story was, they made a mistake. Yes, they refunded the money to the family, but they can never take back the irreversible act of cremation. This family is devastated due to this lack of care. There are procedures and policies available to crematory owners and operators. There is no reason this should happen. Cremation is the only service offered in the death care industry that is not reversible. Once the button in the retort is pushed, there is no going back. Another crematory put a baby in a casket with an unrelated woman, and performed the cremation. The family of the baby came to claim the cremation, only to learn the baby could not be found. Apparently, a worker at the funeral home or crematory made the admission of the baby being placed in the casket with the other woman and the cremation taking place. The cremated remains of the woman were investigated, and DNA was found for a male, through scientific study. This will be worth watching as news come in, to see what possible explanation is offered. Or if yet another unnecessary lawsuit is launched. Not unnecessary on the family parts, but on the funeral industry part. All these instances were avoidable. |
| Mississippi Crematory In the News for Commingling Cremated Remains A crematory in Jackson, Mississippi is in the media for not only commingling cremated remains, but for using the same crematory for animals, as well as, humans. Once again, it has been proven that yet another state has no appropriate legislation in place to preclude these type events. When this occurs, and it is discovered laws do not exist, there will be little or no consequences for the owner. Why? In the absence of law, there is no violation. There have been subsequent articles in the media that the state legislators are scrambling and adopting legislation to insure this is no longer the case. That is a good thing, but offers no comfort for those families already affected by these poor practitioners. Further concerning with this event, is the question of: Will the state of Mississippi also take the time and afford the revenue to insure proper enforcement inspections and penalties for the future? In one article, there was a statement about the State Board of Funeral Directors attempting inspection only to find the retort in use. They left. Big mistake. CemOps would stay until the retort is finished. Never leave a suspected crematory, until an inspection is completed. This one could have been caught much earlier. |
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