Gerald D. Jones Jr., a current deputy coroner for almost 23 years, is announcing his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Carbon County Coroner.

Jerry, 46, started in the Carbon County Coroner's Office in 1992 under the direction and guidance of Phil Jefferies and is serving under the current Coroner Bruce Nalesnik.In 1999, he became certified by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office in Death Investigation, a Infant and Child Death Investigator and has over 850 hours of continuing education. Currently he is working on his national certification as a medicolegal death investigator from the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators.Jerry and his wife Meri reside in East Side Borough, where he is a lifelong resident. They have two daughters, Taylor and Madison.Jones is a 911 dispatcher for Luzerne County, a federally certified Drug and Alcohol Technician, and Emergency Medical Technician. He has a degree in accounting and information systems from Lock Haven University and a degree in business administration from Luzerne County Community College.He is the mayor of East Side Borough and a former councilman, a member of the Pennsylvania State Coroners Association, a member of the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners, Northeast Region Terrorism Taskforce and the Association of Mayors of the Boroughs of Pennsylvania, 911 Coordinator and Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator of East Side Borough, active adult member of the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania.Jones has 32 years of pre-hospital ambulance service with White Haven and Lock Haven Ambulances and is also trained in vehicle rescue through service with the White Haven Fire Department. He is also a former instructor with the American Red Cross.He wants to improve the training for all deputy coroners and to conduct all death investigations with the highest degree of integrity and professionalism not only for the decedent and their families but for all the funeral homes, fire and ambulance units along with police departments.