Trending
Charles E. Kiessling Jr., of Old Lycoming Township, will seek the Republican nomination for re-election to continue to serve as Lycoming County coroner in the May 16 Primary.
Kiessling has served as coroner since 2000, according to the news release.
A registered nurse, he graduated in 1984 from the former Williamsport Hospital School of Nursing, and completed a bachelor of science degree in nursing in 1997 from Lycoming College. Kiessling completed the mandatory basic coroner education course/certification examination and maintains this certification by attending mandatory annual continuing coroner education.
Kiessling is an active member of the state Coroner's Association and served as president from 2016 to 2021. Currently he serves as the immediate past president and mass fatality coordinator. He secured grant funding over $500,000 to purchase and equip four refrigerated trailers along with maintaining four mass fatality trailers, equipment and training of personnel.
He serves as the liaison to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Coroner's Education Board. Kiessling is a member of the International Association of Forensic Nurses and International Association of Medical Examiners and Coroners.
Over the past 24 years, Kiessling has investigated and supervised more than 7,000 death investigations including natural, accidental, suicides and homicides. Kiessling has coordinated annual coroner, law enforcement and EMS training days providing training and funding for the Lycoming County Law Enforcement Association. He has provided forensic/death investigation training to students at Lycoming College, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Mansfield University and local fire, EMS and law enforcement personnel. He has presented numerous SADD and mock crash programs in high schools throughout Lycoming County to increase DUI and other destructive decision awareness, according to the news release.
He has coordinated the acquisition of tens of thousands of dollars in grant funding through PA Safe Kids Lycoming County Partner to purchase child safety seats, bike helmets, smoke and CO detectors and countless child injury educational materials. In 2008, he established the Cribs for Kids Program in Lycoming County which distributes hundreds of cribs to parents in need and provides safe sleep education for infants.
Kiessling has been on the frontlines dealing with the opioid epidemic working with local, state and federal agencies to share drug death data in effort to prosecute drug dealers to stop the flow of illicit drugs into Lycoming County. He has also worked with West Branch Drug and Alcohol, Crossroads Counseling and other drug treatment resources to direct those suffering from substance abuse disorder to receive the treatment necessary. He has supported drug education programs including Saving Lives for Zachary, Lee's Angels and many other programs to raise awareness countywide.
Kiessling serves as vice president of the Lycoming County Health Improvement Coalition and treasurer of the county Law Enforcement Association. He also serves on the county DUI Advisory Council, Penn DOT Highway Safety, county Domestic Violence Task Force, county Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team, the Spirit Coalition, other Suicide Prevention Task Forces and serves as chair of the Lycoming County Safe Kids and Lycoming County Child Death Review Team.
Kiessling is board certified in emergency nursing and flight nursing. He is a member of the National Emergency Nurses Association. He is certified by the state Department of Health as an Emergency Medical Technician/paramedic) and EMT Instructor. He is also certified in advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support, neonatal resuscitation and employed part-time as a flight nurse with the Geisinger Life Flight Program.
The COVID 19 pandemic made it clear how ill prepared Lycoming County is for surges in deaths for any reason. With natural disasters and mass fatalities across the country and around the world, we must increase our preparedness for such incidents along with our daily operations.
My goal for the next 4 years is to secure funding to acquire a building meeting the safety and operational needs of the Coroner’s Office, so that your loved ones are never held in refrigerated produce boxes as was necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic. My personnel will have showers and laundry facilities, so they are no longer exposed to illicit drugs and other biohazards, which are then taken home to their families placing them at risk. Vehicles will have a place for storage and decontamination. In 2012, Lycoming County funded a feasibility study addressing the safety and operational needs of the Coroner's Office. Now for more than 10 years funding has been sought to purchase or build a facility as identified in this study. The COVID 19 pandemic resulted in a significant surge in deaths forcing the acquisition of a 40' Refrigerated Produce Container to hold deceased when the hospital morgue and funeral homes had reached capacity.
Kiessling and his wife, Gayle, have two children, Benjamin and Kathryn, and two grandchildren. He is a life member and assistant chief of the Old Lycoming Township Vol. Fire Company.