BEDFORD, Pa. (WTAJ) – Coroners from Cambria and Bedford counties are hosting a weeklong conference for the Pennsylvania State Coroners Association.

It’s the second time in five years the Pennsylvania State Coroners Association will meet at Omni Bedford Springs for its annual conference, which includes multiple days of training sessions.

The training sessions will range from disaster strategic planning to courtroom testimony and strategies for coroners to deal with traumatic cases.

Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees stated one of the biggest hurdles is having the resources to help them with the stress of the job. He adds the emotional toll of the cases can lead to coroners shortening their careers.

“Everybody turns to us for answers we need to be the strong ones but we are only human too and there is nothing worse in life than losing a loved one and we are front and center all the time,” Lees said.

More than 100 coroners and deputy coroners from 45 counties are attending.