Saving Our Kids" (SOK) Program
The HCIFS has implemented operation "Saving Our Kids" (SOK). The goal of this program is to reach parents and their children, especially those just beginning to drive.  This organizations goal is to reduce motor vehicle accidents and fatalities. The program seeks to educate attendees in the risks associated with handling an automobile, such as: hazardous driving conditions, exceeding the speed limit, and combining alcohol and/or drugs with driving an automobile.  Municipal Courts in Harris and surrounding counties currently utilize this lecture as a condition of Community Service for traffic offenders.

The program is a one hour lecture that is presented by Roger P. Milton, Jr., M.D., Assistant Medical Examiner concerning the dangers involved with driving an automobile. Since automobile deaths involving teenagers appear to be on the rise in the Harris County area, the program is geared toward teens in senior high school that are new drivers or are contemplating taking a driver's education course.

Tours
Tours of the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences shall be conducted for groups associated with medical education and training missions and on court order.  For security and operational reasons, tours must meet certain characteristics of need.  Due to the desire of HCIFS to maintain death with dignity and the costs of conducting the tours, HCIFS will limit tours to those groups described herein.

Guidelines were developed to be used to ensure fair and equal treatment of all groups requesting tours of the HCIFS Office and the safety of those groups during the tour event.

Tours are scheduled twice a month between the hours of 9 AM and Noon.  Scheduling should be done by contacting the Pathology Administrative Coordinator at 713-796-6776 to book a date and then follow-up with a request made in writing outlining the following information:

• School/agency requesting the tour
• Date and time of tour
• Number of attendees
• Course of current classroom study

There are two (2) types of tours given at the HCIFS facility:

• Morgue and autopsy view tours (less than 12 attendees in each group).
• General overview of the facility tour (less than 24 attendees in each group).

The groups that qualify for the morgue and autopsy view tours are:

• Attorneys.
• Law schools.
• Law enforcement agencies & fire departments.
• Surgical nursing colleges.
• Surgical tech certification programs.
• Medical students.
• Grand jurors.

The groups that qualify for the general overview facility tours are:

• Criminal justice / forensic sciences undergraduate & graduate students.
• Certain high school health science program students (case by case basis).
• Certain high school criminal justice program students (case by case basis).

Attire
Casual attire is approved - ensure legs and toes are covered - no shorts, mini skirts, flip-flop shoes, open toe shoes, or clothing dragging on the ground.

Rules for Attendees

• Visitor parking is available 3-4 blocks down on the left on William Harvin - there is a fee to park. Buses can park directly across the street on William Harvin from the forensic center. No parking is available on-site.
  
• No one under 17 will be permitted to tour the forensic center.
  
• No inappropriate attire (e.g., no shorts, no open toe shoes)
  
• No clothing is allowed to be dragging the ground - you will be asked to roll them up or forfeit a tour of the morgue.
  
• No purses or bags will be permitted through the building - please be advised that if extra items are brought in to the training room, they will remain in the training room while the group is about the building on tour - no exceptions.
  
• No cell phones will be on/used/answered during the tour; if this occurs, the attendee will be escorted from the building, no exceptions.
  
• No gum chewing, eating candy or bringing bottled water into the forensic center, no exceptions.
  
• No talking in the morgue, all questions will be entertained/answered when the group returns to the training room, no exceptions.
  
• No removing of masks during the morgue tour; if this occurs attendee will be escorted from the building, no exceptions.
  
• No exiting the training room shall occur; if something requires the attendee to leave the training room during the tour, they should be prepared to take their belongings to leave the building, no exceptions.
  
• No cameras allowed on-site; if a camera is found - the attendee and, possibly the entire tour group, will be escorted from the building.