Due Diligence

Management and Personnel

1. Who owns the crematory? Craig Collins
2. When did the current ownership acquire or start the crematory? May 13, 2005
3. How many crematory operators are employed by the crematory? Three full-time and two part-time Certified Cremationists
4. What type of background check is conducted before a crematory operator is hired? We check all references supplied by a potential employee as well as employment history through SJT Investigations.
5. What type of training and or certification is required of the crematory operators, and who conducts the certification? Cremation Association of North America, CANA Crematory Operations Certification Program

 

Facilities and Equipment

1. Does the crematory have refrigeration? Yes, we have three large capacity cooler units with a total of five compressors. If so, is the refrigeration unit operational? Yes, We service our large capacity cooler units regularly and, when, necessary, broken compressors are replaced within 24 hours.
2. How many cases can it hold? There is sufficient space to hold up to 232 + cases in our refrigeration unit.
3. What kind of machine is used, who is the manufacturer and year of manufacture? One Therm-Tech SQC-300, manufactured in 2007 and two Matthews Industrial PowerPakII's, one manufactured in 1997 and the other in 1999, and a 2018 American A-300 HT.
   
   

(The machine was manufactured in 1997 ( far right ) and has all the features of its counterpart which was manufactured in 1999 - including the drop box ( shown right ) which ensures proper removal and processing of cremains. These machines are fully swept out after every cremation to maintain a clean, professional work environment.)

4. What type of processing station is used by the crematory? One Industrial Equipment High Speed Cremulator - FT HSC-ATC (Ash Transfer Case), attached to a Vacflow central vacuum system.
5. Describe the schedule for inspecting and servicing the crematory equipment: Annual inspections are conducted together with major over hauls. Due to continuous use, our equipment must always be functional and well maintained.
6. Does it have a sprinkler system? Yes, we have an alarm monitored sprinkler system.

Operations

1. Every case that comes into our care is examined for jewelry, pacemakers, and the toe tags place by the funeral home or presenting institution. After this examination, an additional toe tag is placed by Portland Cremation Center which includes the full name of the deceased, the date of death (this is done to further ensure the proper identification of the deceased), the staff member's name who is delivering the deceased, and the name of the funeral home presenting the funeral home presenting the deceased for cremation. When applicable state id burial / cremation tags are attached along with this toe tag directly to the deceased. Prior to the cremation, toe tags and burial / cremation tags are removed and verified against state permits and the cremation authorization signed by the family of the deceased. When the I.D. & authorizations are verified & match, toe tags are stapled directly to the cremation file.
2. What procedures are used to identify the deceased awaiting cremation, the deceased in the cremation chamber, cremated remains in the High Speed Cremulator, and the urn(s) or container(s) holding the cremated remains? When we take a decedent into our care we attach a I.D. tag to the right ankle containing their full name, date of death, State I.D. Tag # if the death occurred in OR., the name of the person and funeral home delivering the decedent as well as a Witness Verification signature line. This tag stays with the decedent through the entire process and is eventually scanned in electronically to the permanent file. After this is done, the full name of the deceased and the funeral home name is written on the plastic shroud or container holding the deceased and they are stored in refrigeration. All cases are entered into Crematory Manager a licensed software system. When the deceased is removed from refrigeration, they are inspected by 2 staff members to verify the identification of the deceased. The toe tag and Sate ID disc are checked against the cremation paperwork and then the paperwork gets stamped as approved for cremation. The verification stamp confirms 2 employees have verified paperwork, toe tags, state ID and any special instructions requested by the Funeral home. Once signed all necessary paper work is clipped outside of the machine in which the deceased is to be cremated. This paper work follows the remains to the processing station where they are clipped on the outside of the bin where metals, casket hardware, etc. are separated from the actual cremated remains. After processing, the paper work identifying the cremated remains and the cremated remains are moved together to a work table where they are respectfully prepared as designated by the funeral home - either in a temporary cardboard urn an urn provided by the family.
3. How and where are deceased stored while awaiting cremation? The deceased are stored in a refrigeration unit until the cremation is to be performed.
4. How long does the crematory hold a deceased before cremation? Typically, if we have the required paper work, our turn around is within 3 - 4 working days, depending on the specific case.
5. How are cremations scheduled? We try to cremate all decedents who have the required paperwork within 3 - 4 days of receiving them from the funeral home unless otherwise specified.
6. Does the crematory allow witnessing of the cremation by the public? Yes, at an additional charge; we do offer watch placements to the person with the right to control disposition. Watch placements are held on Monday & Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. & 3:00 p.m. and only nine people are allowed to witness due to fire code..
7. Describe the requirements the crematory has for cremation containers: A 72"x22"x5" cardboard container is provided by PCC unless otherwise specified and provided by the funeral home.
8. If the crematory does not collect the cremated remains' dust, what happens to it? Dust remains are vacuumed up using a Vacflo centeral vacuum system and scattered at sea.
9. Describe the crematory's policy for recovering, handling, and disposition of jewelry, dental gold, prostheses, medical devices, and casket hardware: Jewelry is returned with the cremated remains to the family; dental gold becomes unrecognizable during the processing of the cremains and is discarded - Removing precious dental metals from a decedent is prohibited by law by Embalmers & Dentist. Medical devices such as pacemakers are removed prior to cremation by a licensed embalmer and forwarded to Implant Recycling (implantrecycling.com).
10. Does the Crematory cremate remains in metal caskets? No.
11. Does the crematory perform pet cremations or incineration of medical waste? We do not perform pet cremations, but we do cremate medical waste
12. Describe the crematory's policy for handling excess cremated remains? It is packaged in an additional temporary urn.
13. Describe the Crematory's procedures for identifying and labeling cremated remains in urns or temporary containers: A in-house metal disk is assigned to each cremation and follows the case through the entire cremation process and is affixed to the plastic bag inside the urn containing the cremated remains. Labels are printed and affixed to the urn holding the cremated remains along with the burial tag (if applicable) to ensure proper identification and delivery of the cremated remains.
14. Describe the crematory's procedure for packaging and shipping cremated remains: When cremated remains are processed, they are immediately put into whatever receptacle has been specified and are hand delivered to the respective funeral home, or mailed via Express Mail through the U.S. Postal Service.
15. Does the crematory have a scattering service? Yes, Dockside Charters in Depoe Bay, OR.
16. Does the crematory offer educational tours of the crematory for funeral home personnel? How can this be arranged? We welcome & encourage unannounced visits from funeral homes and scheduled visits from the general public by calling our office at (503) 665-4200.
17. Does the crematory permit unannounced inspections of their facility by funeral home personnel? Yes, we welcome & encourage unannounced visits from funeral homes. This occurs every day as funeral home personnel are in and out of our facility at any given time.
    

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