Funeral Home Services

Pierce County (hereafter known as 'the County') is seeking proposals from firms to provide funeral home services including transportation and storage of decedents, and coordination of the disposition of unclaimed and indigent decedents.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office (PCMEO) operates by the authority of the laws of the State of Washington. Per RCW 36.24.155 Undisposed of remains – Entrusting to funeral homes or mortuaries: “(1) Whenever anyone shall die within a county without making prior plans for the disposition of his or her body and there is no other person willing to provide for the disposition of the body, the county coroner shall cause such body to be entrusted to a funeral home in the county where the body is found. Except in counties where the county coroner or medical examiner has established a preferred funeral home using a qualified bidding process, disposition shall be on a rotation basis, which shall treat equally all funeral homes or mortuaries desiring to participate, such rotation to be established by the coroner after consultation with representatives of the funeral homes or mortuaries in the county or counties involved.

The PCMEO is directed by Pierce County Code to administer a program to accomplish the purpose and intent of Chapter 8.92 , including the establishment of uniform rates for services. The purpose and intent of said Chapter is to comply with RCW 36.39.030 in providing for the disposition of the remains of any indigent person, including a recipient of public assistance, who dies within the county and whose body is unclaimed. The PCMEO also uses the preferred funeral home for transportation of some decedents from scenes, hospitals, and other facilities.