In the News

Read Full article here

Funeral home prep room earns praise
December 22, 2013

Patrick Buchnowski pbuchnowski@tribdem.com

JOHNSTOWN — Bill Harris has what he believes few local funeral home operators have – a state of the art prep room.

The new prep room, where bodies are carefully bathed, groomed and embalmed, prompted one state funeral home inspector to observe “this is the best prep room I have seen in the state of Pennsylvania.”

Those words appeared in the December 2013 issue of Nomis, a funeral home and cemetery trade journal.

The Harris Funeral Home is located at 500 Cherry Lane in Richland Township.

“I like to think this will enable us to better take care of the public’s needs,” Harris said.

“We have everything we need to provide the most advanced and up to date care for the deceased.”

The prep room includes an air ventilation system, temperature controls, an eye wash station, drench shower, medical flooring, prep arm and several security doors. Constructing and equipping the prep room cost about $60,000.

“Chemicals, instruments, plastic material, soap, needles, sutures – everything you need is within a few steps,” Harris said.

“I can better do my job in serving the families.”

Harris, a former Cambria County commissioner and Richland Township supervisor, opened the funeral home in 1980.

Patrick Buchnowski is a reporter with The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on twitter.com/PatBuchnowskiTD.