I am a licensed funeral director and embalmer. From 2000 to 2010, I served families in 9 locations in several states. With the exception of a few prep labs, I can say that none of those rooms had proper ventilation. Some had jerry-rigged bathroom exhaust fans! I could go on about the other prep rooms. I think the chief compliant most embalmers have is the fumes we are exposed to. We know that formaldehyde and phenol are carcinogens. I have battled lymphoma and bone cancer so I worry every time I step into that room. In some of the prep rooms I had to run out into the garage or outdoors to clear my lungs. Three years ago I discovered that my olfactory nerves were damaged by formaldehyde. How many of you older embalmers know what I’m talking about? No sense of smell. And it’s permanent. Think of what that’s doing to your lungs.

When Gate to Heaven Funeral Home hired me last year as their funeral director and I experienced their excellent ventilation system, I can truly say that Duncan Stuart Todd should be the company to call when you’re planning a preparation room. Years ago I would see photos in funeral magazines of Duncan Stuart Todd prep rooms featuring that long-armed pipe over the table with the clear plastic hood and wonder – does that thing really work? It sure does! Excellent, negative exhaust. I used to have burning sinuses and could hardly see from tears in my eyes. I no longer have that problem. The vent pipe also features what I call an operating room light built within the clear hood. Duncan Stuart Todd realized the additional light the operator needs in the prep room.

By the way, another reason to choose Duncan Stuart Todd is the design, or layout of the prep room. They make everything convenient for the operator. We have enclosed cabinets with drawers that roll out for your viscera hardening compounds. There’s another cabinet with a rolling tray to hold your bio-hazard container. The countertops are easy to clean and the counter plumbing at the foot of the table features an aspirator and water station for the embalming machine. The actual aspirator is hidden, out of the way under the counter. The trocar hose easily disconnects so we don’t leave it lying on the counter. Also built into the counter is a lid-covered three-trocar container with wells for sanitizing solution. We have the pedal operated sinks which come in handy when you’re cleaning instruments or clearing debris from your gloves during embalming. The instrument and hand wash sink both have foot pedals. Our hand wash station also features the eyewash station.

We have a ceiling mounted overhead reel hose with sprayer for our embalming table. I don’t know how many times I had the sink hose (with suction cup) fall off the table onto the floor and I had to have a mop and bucket nearby. With the overhead, adjustable locking hose and sprayer I set the flow to gently spray down the table and it keeps my work area clean without getting water all over the floor. Another feature that I know is there, if I need it, is the overhead safety shower with the handle built into the wall.

I could go on and on about our new prep room. If you are planning to build a funeral home, or thinking about remodeling your existing prep room, I strongly suggest that you call the folks at Duncan Stuart Todd.

Thomas Crown
Funeral Director and Embalmer
Gate to Heaven Funeral Home
Dearborn, Michigan

I am a licensed Michigan funeral director and embalmer.  With the exception of a few prep labs, I can say that none of the rooms where I worked in other states had proper ventilation.  I think the chief complaint most embalmers have is the fumes we are exposed to.  When I came to Gate to Heaven Funeral Home in 2012, and I experienced their excellent ventilation system, I can truly say that Duncan Stuart Todd should be the company to call on when you’re planning a preparation room.  Another reason to choose DST is the design and layout of the prep room.  They make everything convenient for the operator.  I could go on and on about our new prep room.  If you are planning to build a funeral home, or thinking about remodeling your existing room, I strongly suggest you call the folks at Duncan Stuart Todd, Ltd. read more

Thomas Crown
Funeral Director and Embalmer
Gate to Heaven Funeral Home
Dearborn, Michigan

This religious community longed for a facility that was dedicated to providing an environment in which the rituals of their faith could be observed in a respectful and dignified manner. They wished to ensure that their loved ones would be cared for in a place specifically devoted to their needs.

Heading up the project was Fouad Berry, member of the board of directors of Islamic Institute of Knowledge. A fully licensed facility, Gate to Heaven is the first and only funeral home in the area that is owned and operated under the auspices of Islamic Institute of Knowledge. Funeral home manager is Hassan Hazimeh, and Thomas Crown is funeral director.

The building housing the preparation room was wholly converted from another use. It also contains a reception room and small showing room. Religious services are conducted in the main mosque.

From the perspective of practicing funeral religion mandates, it is important to Islam that the preparation room is accessible to those who participate in the ritual washing and wrapping of their loved ones. This means that the room must be safe, clean, comfortable, well organized and properly outfitted. Duncan Stuart Todd, Ltd. was their choice to plan and provide equipment for a twenty-first century state-of-the-art room.

In the preparation room, ritual washing, wrapping and documentation are performed in the traditional way of Islam. The process requires a team to perform the rituals that consist of three washes and involves turning the body in a prescribed way and manner. Women are prepared for burial by a team of women headed by Sister Muna Hasan: a team of men serves men. Each of the three washes has a religious significance and has been performed in the same way for a thousand years.

After the purification, the body is wrapped in a white cloth garment called a kafan which is fashioned in 5 pieces, unsewn, from a cloth 95” long and 109” wide. Only the face is left visible. The body is then taken to the mosque where the funeral service is conducted, normally within 24 hours of death. Caskets may be open or closed: closed caskets are sometimes chosen for women due to cultural reasons rather than religious ones. In the Islam faith, the community gathers to offer their collective prayers for the forgiveness of the dead.

Speaking of the role of DST in the project, Mr. Berry declares that Duncan Todd was “heaven sent” and instrumental throughout the entire project. “From A to Z”, he declared, “DST helped out with the building, the architecture, OSHA, codes, mechanical systems and coordination with the contractor.”

The Premier Source preparation room is a two station OSHA compliant facility complete with PrepAir HVAC system, PrepArm localized exhaust system and a full complement of foot-end equipment, safety equipment, custom cabinetry and custom accessories.

Thomas Crown, funeral director, worked in funeral homes as a youth in the Detroit area. Many years later he re-entered the industry as a professional, becoming a licensed funeral director in 2000. Of Gate to Heaven, Mr. Crown says, “I was really impressed with the excellence of the preparation room, especially the ventilating system.” The bio-hazard cabinets are another feature that he appreciates.

Mr. Hazimeh, manager of the facility, participates and oversees observance of religious rituals in the prep room. He came to America in l974 from Lebanon where he often procures the required special supplies for the wash.

Sharon L. Gee is the embalmer for women. An instructor of embalming at Wayne State University, she often brings students to visit the preparation room, explaining to them that “this (the preparation room) is the way it should be.”

In the late 1960s and early 70’s, there was an influx of Muslims to the Dearborn area in search of a better life, and it eventually became known as a little Mecca. Gate to Heaven is a not-for-profit organization, located at 6333 Schaefer Road, Dearborn, MI 48126. Telephone is 313 908 9356.

Reprinted from March 2013 – Click here to download

Duncan Stuart Todd, Ltd. announces that it will waive its Premier Source design fee of $2,950 for funeral home owners who are rebuilding after damage from Hurricane Sandy. Premier Source is a complete package of design and equipment for OSHA compliant preparation rooms including ventilation, cabinetry, foot-end equipment, safety equipment, finishes and accessories.

Brochure and detailed information on Premier Source can be found on the design page of our website. Emails are welcome, info@duncanstuarttodd.com, as are telephone calls, 720 583 1886.

Duncan Todd a Panelist in AFD Round Table on Architecture and Construction

The February 2013 issue of American Funeral Directorwill feature a round table discussion on Architecture and Construction. Duncan and other respected design professionals discuss their thoughts on trends and challenges facing funeral directors as they consider their future building plans.

Meet Jeremy Ellis

Jeremy Ellis has joined DST as administrative assistant. Jeremy came to Colorado from Florida, via the University of Texas at Austin where he studied English. He is a welcome addition to the DST family. You will find him interested in your projects and available to help at the drop of an email, jeremy@duncanstuarttodd.com or the telephone, 720 583 1886.

Facebook News

The aforementioned Jeremy Ellis has been busy sprucing up DST’s Facebook page.  Find us there and keep up with the latest news.

Hot Products

Premier Source

Premier Source is DST’s flagship product that provides one-stop shopping for a perfect prep room. It consists of a master design plan coordinated with the funeral home layout and an equipment package that includes ventilation, custom cabinetry, foot-end products, safety products, finishes and accessories. Funeral homes that are rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy will receive a waiver of the design fee portion of the costs.  The illustration above is a before and after look at how an old, outdated room can be transformed into a 21st century showplace.

Our Lily

Our Lily is gone, but not forgotten.  She left us with this reminder from her mentor, Benjamin Franklin.

“Wish not so much to live long, as to live well.”

Contact Us

It’s not just the times that are a-changin’. Funeral home design is under- going a transformation of its own, led in large part by the demands and desires of families. To understand what is going on, we talked to three experts in the field: John Gary, vice president and co-owner of JST Architects in Dallas; David TeBrake, executive vice president at Miller Architects & Builders in St. Cloud, Minn.; and Duncan Todd, who heads the Boulder, Co.-based Duncan Stuart Todd, Ltd.

Speaking about his introduction to this industry, Jeremy comments that he particularly enjoys working with small family oriented businesses. You may reach him by email, jeremy@duncanstuarttodd.com, or phone, 720 583 1886.

Premier Source is a complete package of design and equipment for OSHA compliant preparation rooms.  Click on Design at the top of the page for a complete description of the service and a photo gallery of prep rooms designed by DST.

“A Perfect Fit”, written by DST and published in American Funeral Director, outlines steps for selecting a general contractor. Click here for the complete article

DST will feature new products at the  convention, Oct. 6 – 10.

Introducing Scott Goodchild Sales Director for DST

Scott Goodchild has joined the DST team as sales director, bringing with him the experience of a varied background in the crafted beer industry, public radio and film making. “I’m excited now to tackle the challenges that face the death industry,”, he says, “and especially to help funeral home owners bring their preparation rooms into 21^st century, OSHA compliant and state-of-the art facilities.” We invite you to meet Scott in person at the NFDA conference in Charlotte in Booth 2851. You may also call him at 720 583 1886 or shoot an email to scott@duncanstuarttodd.com.

 

For the Chapel

DST offers a modern, space saving and attractive method for displaying flower arrangements and tributes in the chapel or repose areas. Wall channels hold up to three shelves for display and are available in two sizes and finishes.

Call for details.  720 583 1886.

 

Grand Opening for Davis & Davis Funeral Home in Stanton, KY

Congratulations to the Davis Family on the Grand Opening of their new facility in Stanton, KY. They chose DST for a twenty-first century prep room. Read about them in the August 2012 issue of Funeral Home and Cemetery News or click here, www.duncanstuarttodd.com/clientstories.

 

 

What I Learned from my Mother

by Julia Kasdorf

“I learned from my mother how to love the living, to have plenty of vases on hand in case you have to rush to the hospital with peonies cut from the lawn,…” You can read this lovely poem in its entirety by clicking here, www.duncanstuarttodd.com.  It appears on the home page and NEWS button during September.

 

Product Specials

Further Reductions on Plumbing  Safety Products 

These plumbing safety products can make a safety difference in the prep room.

½” Hot Water Control Valve, DST 311
For recirculating hot water systems
50% Off - Now $47.50

 

 

 

Swing Away Eye Wash, DST 408
Below cost -
Now $172.50

Deck Mount Drench Hose, DST 411 + DST 425
50% Off
With 8-ft. hose and dual backflow preventer and atmospheric vent Now $245

 

Todd Trocar Well, Wall Mounted DST 522
25% Off

Now $262.50

 

 

 

Call 720 583 1886 or email info@duncanstuarttodd.com

DST Looks for you on Facebook

Catch us on Facebook for the latest and greatest stuff.

 

Did You Know?

DST provides free consultation to contractors during construction of your DST prep room?

HOT LINKS

Click here for links to OSHA bulletins, state associations, mortuary colleges and other industry websites.

CONTACT US

For a free brochure, 720 583 1886

Duncan Stuart Todd, Ltd.
The Preparation Room Specialists

P. O. Box 3578
Boulder, CO 80307

Tel 720 583 1886
Fax 877 507 5560
info@duncanstuarttodd.com
www.duncanstuarttodd.com.

Boulder, CO_ Duncan Stuart Todd, Ltd. introduces Scott Goodchild as Sales Director for the preparation room specialist firm. His varied background in such diverse fields as the craft beer industry, public radio, and film making provided a unique perspective as he experienced the recent NFDA convention in Charleston, NC.

Meeting with funeral directors from across the country, Mr. Goodchild embraced the challenges they face in this twenty-first century for safe, comfortable and OSHA compliant prep rooms. “Workshops on the latest regulatory and compliance standards increased my appreciation of the issues they confront,” he observed, “and we take special consideration into incorporating these standards into our service.”

Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, he completed his education and lived in New York City for ten years. He is now a resident of Colorado where he enjoys hiking with his wife and two young sons.

DST offers products and design service for state-of-the-art preparation rooms.

You are invited to call Mr. Goodchild:

office- 720-583-1886
cell- 720 340 0318
email- scott@duncanstuarttodd.com.

The company website is www.duncanstuarttodd.com.