Berg, Ewing run for Clinton County Coroner

PLATTSBURGH | Two candidates are vying for the position of Clinton County Coroner: Cliff Berg, is running on Republican and Conservative party lines and Scott Ewing is running on the Democratic Party line. The Sun reached out and asked the same questions of each candidate. Responses are presented here in alphabetical order. The General Election is Nov. 3 this year. Early Voting begins on Oct. 24. ..................................... CLIFFORD 'CLIFF' BERG PARTY AFFILIATION: Republican, Conservative AGE: 38 EDUCATION: Clinton County Community College, Criminal Justice; North Country Community College, Pre-Nursing; CV-TEC Electrical Program; graduate, Saranac Central School OCCUPATION: Business Owner, CB Electric PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT/CIVIC/MILITARY EXPERIENCE: Former New York State Correction Officer at Clinton Correctional Facility; former EMT with the Village of Dannemora; former CVPH security and ambulance driver. Active in community and civic organizations, including Plattsburgh Noon Rotary, Lions Club, North Country Next Gen, and local Chambers of Commerce. If elected, what strengths would you bring to the Clinton County Coroner's Office? "I would bring a combination of emergency response experience, investigative experience, leadership, business management and, most importantly, compassion for families. As a former EMT, correction officer and hospital security, I have responded to emergencies, worked around death and traumatic situations, investigated serious incidents, prepped bodies for viewing and learned the importance of accurate documentation, communication and professionalism. As a business owner, I have learned how to manage employees, budgets, schedules and day-to-day operations while remaining accountable to the people I serve. I also understand that behind every coroner call is a family experiencing one of the worst moments of their lives. They deserve a timely response, clear and continuing communication, dignity and compassion. I would bring those standards to every case while building strong working relationships with law enforcement, EMS, fire departments, healthcare providers, funeral homes and county government. I believe my combination of emergency-service experience, investigative experience, leadership and business management gives me the ability not only to perform the responsibilities of coroner, but to lead and improve the office." If elected, how would your leadership serve to improve county Coroner's Office operations? "My goal is to build a professional, dependable and compassionate Coroner's Office that serves Clinton County 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I would begin with a complete review of current operations and meet directly with law enforcement, EMS, fire departments, dispatch, CVPH, funeral homes, county officials and the County Legislature to identify gaps in staffing, training, response times, transportation and communication. Clinton County covers more than 1,000 square miles. We need enough properly trained deputy coroners and a clear coverage system so families and first responders are not left waiting simply because another call is occurring elsewhere in the county. I would also establish consistent standards for scene response, documentation, chain of custody, family communication and continuing education. But my vision goes beyond improving how we respond to deaths. I believe the Coroner's Office can play a meaningful role in preventing them. The Coroner's Office does not have to only be the last responder. It can also be a first outreach. The office sees firsthand where and why lives are being lost in our community. I want to use that knowledge to support prevention and education by working with schools, first responders, healthcare providers and community organizations on issues such as suicide and mental-health awareness, substance abuse, impaired and distracted driving, drowning prevention, infant safety and other preventable causes of death. If education, outreach and collaboration can prevent even one tragedy and keep one family from ever needing the Coroner's Office, I believe that is an important part of serving Clinton County." .......................... R. SCOTT EWING PARTY AFFILIATION: Democrat AGE: 61 EDUCATION: Graduate, Plattsburgh City School District; Associates Degree in Criminal Justice, Clinton County Community College OCCUPATION: Currently serving as Deputy Clinton County Coroner; currently working part-time as Clinton Co. sheriff's deputy; Threat Management Coordinator, Clinton County Threat Assessment Management Team, serving since April 2023 PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT/CIVIC/MILITARY EXPERIENCE: I have 35 years experience serving as a federal law enforcement officer, starting in 1988 as a uniformed U.S. Customs Officer in Champlain; 10 years, K-9 handler with the Contraband Enforcement Team; when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was established in 2003, I transferred to the Federal Protective Service Police, and was responsible for the Northern District of the Region; I have held all ranks up to Area Commander; retired from federal service in Dec. 2022, and then began working as a deputy with the Clinton County Sheriff's Office; appointed deputy county coroner by Clinton County Legislature in April, and completed all modules in the 80-hour Death Investigations class, Death Investigations Training Academy. VOLUNTEER FIRE AND EMS SERVICE: Active firefighter since 1985, when I started as a firefighter/EMT with the Town of Plattsburgh District No. 3 Fire Department; rose to the rank of chief, a position I served for six years; currently deputy chief for District No. 3; past president, District No. 3 Fire Department; past president, Clinton Co. Firefighters Association; served as president, New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, 2023-2024; member, NYS Association of Fire Chiefs Board of Directors; deputy fire coordinator, Clinton Co. Office of Emergency Service (OES), assigned to the Fire Investigations Unit; since 1995, I have been a member and past EMS chief and am currently a life member for Morrisonville--Schuyler Falls Volunteer Ambulance Service, currently certified EMS and have maintained certification since 1985. CIVIC ACTIVITIES: State representative, Law Enforcement Torch Run for New York State Special Olympics; now in its 40th year, we oversee the Polar Plunge, the Law Enforcement Torch Run, Go For the Gold, Tip-a-Cop; member, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge, Plattsburgh; member, Keeseville Elks Lodge #2072. If elected, what strengths would you bring to the Clinton County Coroner's Office? I bring the strength of leadership, the ability to work within a budget, and working familiarity with law enforcement agencies and first responder departments. Throughout the years, I have obtained state and local grants for both fire and EMS agencies to help departments expand and grow. I bring budget-building expertise from my experience as fire department chief, EMS and the Fire Chief's Association. The County Coroner's Office has to present a budget to county legislators annually, and that budget includes a summary of travel costs for the coroner and deputy coroners; for educational conferences and continuing education; and for operations equipment, along with salaries or contracts with outside agencies. That package has to be developed in the fall of the year and presented to the county administrator. As County Coroner's Office, my vision is to make the job safer. I would like to move the office forward, taking the electronic systems we use to the scene, where we would be able to write the coroner's report in real time. One of the biggest aspects of my experience is the proven ability to work with many agencies. When you have a major incident, for example, you are coordinating with first responders, various law enforcement personnel, including New York State Police, the sheriff's office, federal partners and city or local police. You may also be working with family members and possibly with a funeral home. All of those components need to work together. I do that on a daily basis as fire chief with the town. I understand the mutual aid system. And if there were an MCI (Mass Casualty Incident), I understand how the coroner's office is part of the unified command. I currently coordinate Town-Wide Training, TWT, which trains fire and EMS agencies together in the Town of Plattsburgh. We started doing this to fulfill state Best Practices requirements and put operational plans together at the same time. As coroner, you have to have active, working knowledge of how your county mutual aid plan works. You are part of that unified command. I have run incident command at major incidents, and I know how that plan works. If elected, how would your leadership serve to improve county Coroner's Office operations? "Currently, the Coroner's Office is placing a county-owned transport vehicle into service. I am getting that vehicle ready now. The county legislature purchased a van with a compartment section in the back, and that will become the transport vehicle to the autopsy morgue. Through grant and county funding, we now have a morgue housed in a county facility and are finalizing preparations with electrical updates now. This step forward will alleviate our having to bring decedents to CVPH (University of Vermont Health Network - Champlain Valley Physician's Hospital). Now we can utilize our own morgue, located in Clinton County. The only reason we have to travel to the morgue in Glens Falls is for forensic autopsy. I want to get the Clinton County morgue operational and continue to build on what technical resources we have put in place -- to enhance our use of electronic reporting systems in the field. The job of county coroner includes skills I've been doing since 1995. Right now, our staffing has an acting County Coroner Jay Heald, along with myself, one other deputy coroner and a medical review officer. What we have is actually working. And we want to make sure that the coroner's office succeeds. I was brought up to give back to the community that you grew up in. I really enjoy being a firefighter. I enjoy being an EMT. It's something I always wanted to do."

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Berg, Ewing run for Clinton County Coroner

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