Guide
What happens after a death at home in Tulsa
A plain order of events, for when you do not know what comes next.
Step by step
Call 911
If the death was not expected or you are not sure, call 911. Do not move the person.
Police and investigators
Police come first. In Oklahoma, deaths that are violent, unexpected or unattended by a doctor are reported to the medical examiner, and the body should not be disturbed until the medical examiner and police allow it. 63 O.S. §§ 938, 940.
The medical examiner
For the Tulsa area, the Eastern Office at 1627 Southwest Blvd., Tulsa, OK 74107 (918-295-3400) takes the person into its care when the case is theirs.
Choose a funeral home
The family picks a funeral home or crematory and tells the medical examiner's office, which calls the funeral home when the person can be released. The office cannot recommend one. OCME FAQ.
The home is released
When police have finished, the home is returned to the owner or tenant.
Cleanup
If blood or body fluids are present, or the death was not discovered for some time, an independent biohazard cleanup company can do the work.
Records
Immediate family can ask the medical examiner for a copy of the report. The funeral director usually helps with death certificates.
When a death was expected
If the person was under hospice care or a doctor's care for the illness that caused the death, the hospice or doctor usually guides the next steps, and the medical examiner may not be involved.
Cleanup may still be needed, for example after bleeding or a long illness at home.
Questions
Can I go back into the house?
Once police have released it, yes. Keep the affected room closed until it has been cleaned.
Who helps families during an investigation?
The medical examiner's Family Assistance Coordinators keep in touch with families in homicide and suspicious-death cases and explain benefits that may help. Source.
More guides
- Who pays for the cleanupInsurance, Oklahoma victim compensation, landlords and estates.
- Who cleans up after a crime sceneNot the police and not the medical examiner. Here is who does.
- What affects the cost of cleanupThe factors a company looks at before it gives you a price.
- For landlords and property managersA death or biohazard in a rental unit, step by step.
- How the referral worksWhat happens when you call this number.
- Questions and answersShort answers to what people ask most.
Whenever you are ready
A calm conversation, then your decision
Some people call the same evening. Others wait until family has arrived or the service is over. Until then, keep the door to the affected room shut and keep children and pets out.
Speak with a cleanup company
The call goes to an independent company that works in your ZIP code. Describe what happened in your own words, ask how they would handle it and how they set the price, then decide.
Call (918) 233-9295Calls answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure and privacy policy.