Robert Gessner, Kankakee County Coroner |
Employment history:
Robert Gessner started his career in 1969 with the Kankakee Fire Department where he served as a firefighter for 30 years prior to his retirement in 1999. While serving as a firefighter, Gessner also worked part time teaching EMT-A and EMT-I, paramedic, and education classes. He also worked part time in St. Mary's emergency room and EMS office. Gessner became a Deputy Coroner in 1984 and was later appointed as Chief Deputy Coroner in 2000. When James Kelly left office at the end of 2003, Robert Gessner was appointed Coroner. He was later elected to the position in November of 2004.
Involvement:
Robert Gessner is a member of and the secretary for the Illinois Coroners and Medical Examiners Assocation. On the Board Illinois Terrorism Task Force He was a Past Chairman for the EMS Council for the Illinois Association of Firefighters, a previous president of Kankakee Firefighters Local 653 (1976 - 1988), and is a current President Emeritus of Firefighters Local 653. He is a member of the Eastern Illinois Police Chief Association, the Joliet Crime Lab Advisory Board, the Kankakee Chamber of Commerce, The NAACP, and the Cook County Medical Examiners Disaster Response Team, and the Illinois Department Public Health Maternal Mortaliy Review Committee.
Training:
Robert Gessner is a certified Fire Investigator. He has passed the NIMS IS-100, IS-200, IS-300, IS-400, IS-700, and IS-800 National Incident Management System courses. Other training includes:
- Basic Mandated Firearms Training Program (2004)
- Medicolegal Death Investigations - Detroit, Michigan (2008, 2009, 2010)
- Masters Course in Death Investigation - St. Louis School of Medicine (2003)
- Medicolegal Death Investigation Conference - Collinsville, Illinois (2002)
- Practical Homicide Investigation
- Advanced Practical Homicide Investigation (2004)
- Homicide Symposium for Major Crimes Task Force (2005)
- Illinois County Coroners' Basic Training (2005)
- International Homicide Investigators Association (2007 Symposium)
- 16th Annual Medicolegal Death Investigation Conference
- 17th Annual Medicolegal Death Investigation Conference
- Forensic Digital Imaging; Phase 1 and Phase 2
- Crime Scene Photography (2009)
- Illinois Homicide Investigation Association Training Conference (2010)
- Entomology for the Homicide Investigation Workshop (2010)
