Natural Death at Home: Who to Call First? EMS vs. Medical Examiner

In the event of a natural death at home, the first step is to call 911. They will dispatch emergency medical services (EMS) to the scene. The EMS personnel will assess the situation and determine whether the person is actually deceased. If so, they will then contact the appropriate authorities, such as the police and the medical examiner's office. The police will come to the scene to investigate the death and make sure that there was no foul play involved. The medical examiner's office will take custody of the body and perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Once the authorities have been notified, you can then contact the person's doctor or mortuary. The doctor will provide a death certificate, which is a legal document that states the cause of death. The mortuary will then pick up the body and prepare it for burial or cremation.