Coroner Service Conveyance Contracts

• Body Removal and Transport

• Specific Requirements
• Current Solicitations
• Future Solicitations

Body Removal and Transport

The British Columbia Coroners Service (BCCS) is responsible for the investigation of all unnatural, sudden and unexpected, unexplained or unattended deaths within British Columbia. In the course of the investigation, the coroner may determine that a deceased person must be removed from the place of origin (death) and transported to a nearby morgue, funeral home, hospital or other site in order to conduct the investigation. The BCCS relies on external contractors to provide this removal and transportation service on a contractual basis. All competitive solicitations are posted on the BC Bid website, inviting proponents to respond to bid opportunities.

Contracts generally run between one to five years (although 2‐3 years is typical, due to fuel price volatility/uncertainty) and will typically be characterised by a fixed price for service on a unit basis over a defined geographic area. Depending on the type of solicitation used, proposals may be evaluated on price only, or on a variety of factors including, but not limited to: pricing, equipment and response capabilities, experience, policies and training.

Specific Requirements

Specific requirements or expectations of contractors is not static throughout the province, and can change based on local conditions/infrastructure, degree of competition or other factors. The following are some common features:

• Often two people are required for service requests (driver + attendant)
• Contractors are almost always expected to respond to service requests on a 24 hours/day, 7‐day/week basis
• Contractors will be expected to arrive at the site directed by the coroner within a reasonable timeframe from the service request (can range from 30‐90 minutes depending on area)
• Contractors are strictly prohibited from soliciting business while engaged by the Coroners Service
• Vehicle or uniform markings/logos are discouraged or prohibited
• Vehicles must be to the overall satisfaction of the Coroner and be made available for inspection upon request
• Contractor will provide shroud, body bag or other related supplies at no additional expense.
• Temporary refrigerated body storage may be desirable or required in some locations
• Contractor must have Commercial General Liability insurance of no less than $2,000,000 and name the province as additional insured; be registered with WorksafeBC and maintain WCB coverage for duration of contract
• Submit to criminal record checks for all employees

Questions: Please contact CoronerRequest@gov.bc.ca for any questions regarding body removal and transportation.

Current Solicitations

Future Solicitations

Future competitive solicitations: The following table represents anticipated future competitive solicitations at a point in time and is provided for transparency and for planning purposes of potential contractors. The ministry offers no guarantee as to the number of service requests, the timing of the posting, or even that a solicitation on BC Bid will be made.