GREENFIELD — With experience in diverse public safety fields in Hancock County, Joe Fortner is hoping to translate his knowledge to the office of county coroner.
“I’ve run a couple of times. This time, the number one reason, I think, is because I don’t think anyone should win an election just because they’re the only one on the ballot,” Fortner said. “I have 25 years experience in law enforcement and now 38 years experience in emergency medicine, plus I’ve been a deputy coroner in the past, so I think all that experience probably qualifies me to be able to do the job as a coroner.”
Fortner is running for the office in the Republican primary against incumbent coroner David Stillinger. A story on Stillinger appeared in the Thursday, Feb. 27, issue of the Daily Reporter. Fortner previously ran for the office in 1992, 2012 and 2016.
Fortner is the emergency medical services coordinator at Hancock Regional Hospital. He is a licensed paramedic and works in patient care at the hospital’s emergency room three days a week in addition to his administrative responsibilities.
He has previously worked as a deputy coroner when Fred Counter held the office in the 1970s and ‘80s and worked for both the Greenfield Police Department and Hancock County Sheriff’s Department. He also spent many years as a firefighter for the Greenfield Fire Department, including four years as fire chief.
“You work very closely with law enforcement on the coroner cases, especially if it’s death due to homicides or motor vehicle crashes,” Fortner said. “Law enforcement is responsible for collecting the evidence and making sure that it’s stored properly, but overall they need to work with the coroner on that to make sure that it’s done correctly. I think my experience in law enforcement and with law enforcement investigations gives me that advantage.”
Donnie Mullins worked with Fortner when Mullins was a reserve officer in the Greenfield Police Department and Fortner worked for the coroner’s office and fire department. He said they responded to many scenes together and that Fortner was a detail-oriented, compassionate person.
“He’s just an all-out good guy,” Mullins said. “He’s very well-qualified.”
Fortner said he would also want to make sure the coroner’s office is accessible to the public and that it has a good working relationship with offices in surrounding counties. He said working in the coroner’s office involves navigating difficult interactions with people whose loved ones have just died.
“I think you need to be compassionate toward the families. Even though that’s part of it, you still have to be firm and do the job that needs to be done. You’re going to have families that disagree with what you’re doing, and you need to try to explain to them why you’re doing what you’re doing,” he said.
In addition to his professional experience, Fortner also has personal experience dealing with an unexpected loss. He had a son who was born with a heart condition and died at 9 weeks old.
“I can’t say that I know what they’re going through, because everybody handles it differently. What worked for me may not work for them. But I can pull from that experience I think, a little bit, and help them,” he said.
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Age: 67
Party: Republican
Office sought: County coroner
Political experience: Has run for coroner previously.
Family: Wife Jody, five children, two grandchildren
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The Daily Reporter is presenting profiles of candidates whose names will appear on the primary ballot for county offices. These stories will run periodically over the coming weeks leading up to the primary election on May 5.
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