When a Death Occurs
Call us as soon as death is confirmed
When a death occurs, call Western Cremation Alliance at 1 (844) 927-3628 as soon as possible. We’ll ask a few simple questions about who has died and where the death took place. We’ll also need to know the name of the next-of-kin and of the doctor who confirmed the death. We can then send our professional and caring team to bring your loved one into our care, usually within an hour or two of receiving your call.
Depending on the circumstance of death, you may have to call other officials as well:
Death in a healthcare facility
When a death occurs in a hospital, hospice, or nursing home you will need to make sure the facility knows you’ve chosen to use Western Cremation Alliance and that they have our contact information. The medical staff will make sure the authorities are notified, and call us directly to bring your loved one into our care.
Anticipated death at home
If death is expected very soon, many people prefer to leave their healthcare facility and return home. When death does take place, you must first call the staff at the healthcare facility that was providing treatment. They will report the death officially, then contact us to transfer your loved one into our care.
Unexpected death
When a death occurs that was not expected and did not occur in a health care facility, call 911 immediately. The local police will arrive and then call the Medical Examiner (ME) or Coroner. If the death seems non-suspicious, the ME must decide whether an autopsy is required. If it is, the ME may take the body into custody. If it isn’t, you can call us immediately and we will send our team as soon as possible. If the death seems suspicious, however, the ME is obliged to carry out an autopsy. Once the autopsy is done, the ME will contact us to transfer the body from their custody.
Select services and merchandise on our website
Select the services and merchandise you need and pay online with your credit card. View our General Price List.
Complete cremation paperwork
We’ll email you the necessary paperwork to gather vital statistics for the death certificate and authorize the cremation process. Simply follow the easy instructions to legally sign online. There’s no need to print, fax, or email anything back to us.Our professional staff will respond as soon as possible to the place of passing to bring your loved one into our care. The cremation usually takes place within 7 – 14 days of receiving all signed paperwork.
