Having a “servant’s heart” is how Republican Charles Adcox describes himself and his reason for running for the position of Franklin County coroner.

“I could do anything in the world, but I’m happiest when I’m helping people,” Adcox said.

Adcox is a juvenile detention officer, and he has worked as a volunteer firefighter, with the EMS and in law enforcement. Adcox has been EMT-certified since 2012 and worked with an ambulance service for five years.

He said he believes his work in the medical field and on the law enforcement side of things would benefit him as county coroner.

“I know what to look for, whether it’s a natural death or foul play,” he said.

Adcox said he has learned, through his work experiences, problems with the current system in Franklin County that he would like to change.

One big issue that stands out to him is communication. “I want to bridge the communication problem so that I don’t fail any areas of the community,” he said.

Timing, he said, is also an issue he hopes to correct with the use of deputy coroners and providing transportation from within the county instead of outsourcing from Decatur.

“It shouldn’t take an hour or an hour and a half for the coroner to get to the location,” Adcox said.

He said the county is also wasting money by contracting transportation services from Decatur, when it would be more cost efficient for the coroner to have a vehicle or for the local funeral homes to provide transportation.

“It ties up resources when you’re having to wait for transport to get here from Decatur,” he said.

Another way Adcox said would like to help the community is through education. He said he would like to help educate youth in the county about the realities of the drug problem, working with local schools.

“We can’t protect our kids all of the time, but we can sure try,” Adcox said.

Aside from his work, Adcox also coaches for Russellville’s youth league football and serves on the league board. He said this has helped him learn more about the community and its needs.

“I can’t see myself doing anything else other than serving my community,” he said.