By ARIELLE LEVIN BECKER
The Hartford Courant
July 11, 2009
Nearly a quarter of suicides in the U.S. occur on Wednesdays, about twice as many as almost every other day of the week, a new study has found.
The study, published in the journal Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, contradicts earlier findings that suicides are more common on Mondays and left experts puzzling over what may be behind Wednesday's grim distinction.
Is it something about the middle of the week? Job stresses piling up, potentially overwhelming people who already see their problems as insurmountable?
"It may be just that it feels like there's no way out on Wednesday, [it's] too long to wait for the weekend," said Theodore Mucha, medical director at the Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital. Like other experts, he cautioned that his explanation was just a guess.
Researchers Augustine J. Kposowa and Stephanie D'Auria at the University of California, Riverside, examined data from U.S. death records from 2000 to 2004, focusing on adult suicides.
They found that 24.6 percent of suicides occurred on Wednesdays. The next-highest rates were 14.4 percent on Saturdays and 14.3 percent on Mondays. The fewest suicides occurred on Thursdays — 11.1 percent.
Kposowa and D'Auria also found that more suicides occurred in summer and spring than in fall or winter, contrasting with traditional thinking that winter months bring more risk of suicide.
Other parts of the study were consistent with previous research, showing that men are more likely to take their lives than women, and people who are divorced, white, educated or living in non-metropolitan areas have a higher risk of suicide.
The day of the week findings represent something new.
"This really does tell us something different," said Nina Heller, a social work professor at the University of Connecticut. "What it doesn't yet tell us is the why of that."
Heller said she had been "scratching my brain" since learning of the study, trying to think of a reason for the Wednesday peak in suicides. Maybe, she said, people who are already suffering from a mental illness and struggling to get through the week see Wednesday as a halfway point. "Perhaps they can't push any further," she said.
People who take their own lives often have lost perspective, becoming so despondent they lose track of things that might help them get through the day, said Charles Atkins, attending psychiatrist at Waterbury Hospital.
"One of the obvious speculations about Wednesday is that it's work-related, that people have become so caught up in the stress of the work week that whatever it is that's going on or is on their plate seems unsurmountable and suicide seems like a way out," he said.
Other national studies have indicated that working Americans typically list their jobs as their top source of stress, which Atkins said may lend weight to the idea that the Wednesday suicide peak could be related to the work week.
Kposowa also pointed to workplace stress as a potential explanation and believes changes in Americans' work and family life may be behind the shift in suicide's concentration from Mondays to Wednesdays.
Increased economic competition worldwide has threatened job security for many workers, heightening stress, frustration and even feelings of betrayal, said Kposowa, a sociology professor. "Individuals work harder and harder, but seem to be losing ground; they have little or nothing to show for their labor — especially among those who depend on others for wages," he wrote in an e-mail. "It is highly likely that the middle of the week (represented by Wednesday) is when these stressors and feelings of hopelessness are at their highest."
People may have once viewed Wednesday as the day you got over in order to look forward to a relaxed weekend, he said. But perhaps many Americans now see the next weekend as too far away.
Kposowa suggested that suicide prevention hot lines examine which days of the week call volumes are highest and consider placing more staff on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Mondays. Mental health workers might also consider scheduling more patient appointments on Wednesdays, he said.
Several mental health workers said they had not noticed a link between Wednesdays and an increased risk of suicide. More than 25,000 people kill themselves in the U.S. each year, an average of slightly more than one per day in each state, so trends that might be apparent from thousands of cases would not likely be noticed by individual mental health workers or programs.
A Courant analysis of Connecticut figures showed a different day distribution: from 2001 to 2004, no day stood out as sharply as Wednesday did in the national study. Most suicides — 16.7 percent — occurred on Tuesday, while 16.4 percent occurred on Monday and 14.5 percent on Wednesday. Thursday had the lowest occurrence, 12.1 percent. The data showed 966 adult suicides, a small fraction of the 131,636 in the national sample.
Seasonal suicide variations in Connecticut did reflect the national findings, with most occurring in summer and spring and fewer in winter and fall.
The seasonal figures contradict previous findings, but they didn't surprise Michael Levinson, director of clinical services at the Capitol Region Mental Health Center. He works nights in an emergency room and has gotten used to seeing more psychiatric emergencies in the spring.
"We always sort of look forward to spring gritting our teeth," he said.
While traditional thinking has focused on winter, with its cold weather and lack of sunlight, as a more common season for suicide, Levinson has a theory about why it may not be so: People think it's normal to be depressed in the winter. "Spring is the time of year when people are supposed to be rejuvenated and outside and enjoying themselves, and if you're not, it makes you feel comparatively worse than everybody else, which may make you feel more hopeless," he said.
Courant staff writer Matthew Kauffman contributed to this story.
The United Way's hotline for suicide prevention is available 24 hours a day and can be reached by dialing 2-1-1 The Capitol Region Mental Health Center's mobile crisis team, which serves the Hartford area, can be reached at 860-297-0999
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Dirty job gets done
By HANK DANISZEWSKI
Ron Thomas of Canadian Crime and Trauma Scene Cleanup and his two employees clean up after crime, suicides, accidents or natural deaths. (Morris Lamont, Sun Media)
After the ambulance, police and media leave a violent crime scene, someone has to clean up the bloody mess.
That would be Ron Thomas, owner of Canadian Crime and Trauma Scene Cleanup.
Based in London, Thomas and his two employees go all over Southwestern Ontario cleaning up after crime, suicides, accidents or natural deaths that go undiscovered for some time.
Last week, he was called by police in Woodstock to clean up the home of the parents of Thomas Rafferty, who was charged in the murder of eight-year-old Victoria (Tori) Stafford.
Thomas tidied up and cleaned all the fingerprint dust after the police investigators were through.
The company also does a lot of hoarding cases -- people who die or move away, leaving piles of rotting debris and garbage in their homes.
Thomas said any dried blood or human tissue left at a crime scene carries the risk of disease and infection and is treated as a biohazard.
"You don't know who you are cleaning up for. It has to be treated like toxic material," he said.
In the most serious cases, he and his crew don biohazard suits and respirators. Waste from a contaminated scene usually has to be incinerated.
Thomas launched the company in 2006 as a spinoff of S.A. Thomas Dyna-Build, a flood and fire restoration business run by his brother.
He and his crew went to Ohio to get training and certification from the American Bio-Recovery Association.
Thomas, who has to document all his work to satisfy provincial safety and environment officials, said careful cleanup allows a house or vehicle to be usable again. That puts an end to the urban myth about the new Cadillac selling dirt-cheap because a dead body was found inside.
Thomas has a hydroxyl cleaner and disinfectant generator that can neutralize all foul-smelling molecules.
He said it's often a grim business that many couldn't handle
"I don't know if you ever get used to it. But nothing surprises me any more," he said.
Thomas said black humour becomes a coping mechanism, as it often is for police and health professionals.
"You do it behind the scenes. It helps you not to think about the seriousness of the situation."
Over the years he has collected many unusual tales.
There was the dim-witted criminal who smashed into an ATM machine and had his hand mangled when he reached into the machinery. Thomas was called in to clean up the blood and disinfect the machine.
Then there was the nice, neat luxury home where the master bedroom and kitchen were off-limits to the professional cleaners. Thomas was called in after the elderly owner moved out. He carted 810 wine bottles and mounds of cigarette butts out of the bedroom and found the fridge stuffed with rotting food.
Thomas's services don't come cheap. He charges about $175 an hour, which he says is the going rate.
He said cleaning up the scene of a tragedy can be hazardous both physically and mentally and should be left to professionals.
"There are some things you should not see, especially if it involves a loved one. Some people try it and call us halfway through," he said.
Hank Daniszewski is a Free Press business reporter. hank.daniszewski@sunmedia.ca
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Crime Scene Leftovers Pose Problem For Sanitation
Call it the Case of the Bloody Mattress.
City sanitation workers in southwestern Kentucky were recently left with the problem of how to dispose of a bloody mattress put out with the trash.
The mattress came from a home where police say a 37-year-old man appears to have died from self-inflicted stab wounds. The problem came when trash collectors realized they couldn't pick up a potential biohazard, but didn't want to leave it by the side of the road in a residential neighborhood in Hopkinsville.
"This was an area of concern for us because blood is considered a biohazard and not only can our trash trucks not pick it up, but it could be dangerous for people in the community," said George Hampton, a route supervisor for Hopkinsville Solid Waste Authority.
The Kentucky New Era reports that the mattress disappeared by midweek, but sanitation officials didn't take it and were still trying to make sure it was properly disposed of. The location of the mattress remained a mystery at week's end.
Hopkinsville sanitation workers received an anonymous call reporting a mattress, possibly covered in blood, that had been set on a curb outside of a home. That was the concern of the anonymous caller, Hampton said, who said children in the neighborhood could start to play on the mattress and come into contact with the dried blood that might have diseases.
Because there was blood on the mattress, sanitation workers couldn't haul it off with the rest of the trash.
"It raises a question for us about where we take it from here," Hampton said. "Someone has to clean up messes like these and we can't do it."
Solid Waste Superintendent Bill Bailey said sanitation workers aren't allowed to pick up possible biohazards, including blood, from the side of the road. Instead, Bailey said, the department needs to call other landfills to see who will pick up and take the items.
"Sometimes we can process and wrap it in plastic and dispose of it that way. But other times we have to contact a company that deals with disposing of medical waste."
Charlotte Write, a spokeswoman for Stericycle, a national company that specializes in medical waste disposal, said medical waste is generally burned to kill pathogens that can live in dried blood.
"It is important to dispose of all medical waste, especially waste that comes from the body, so as not to spread diseases," Write said.
Hopkinsville Police Chief Guy Howie said the families must clean up the scene of a murder or suicide or pay to have it done.
"It doesn't sound very friendly, I know, but that's just how it has to be handled," Howie said. "Someone has to clean it up and someone has to dispose of all of this, it's just a matter of figuring out who. It's amazing that just one mattress on a curb can raise so many questions."
Someone solved sanitation's problem by taking the mattress from in front of the home. Bailey said sanitation workers didn't remove it, but finding out what became of the mattress is important. It had to be properly sterilized and disposed of.
"We can't just stick it in our landfill and be done with it," Bailey said. "Whether it's on that curb or not, it's still hazardous material."
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Tent city under scrutiny by committee
Published Saturday May 30th, 2009
Behind the brush: A tent and sleeping bag can be seen behind the Victoria Health Centre on Friday afternoon.
Human excrement, broken glass, feminine hygiene products, evidence of cooking fires and discarded, contaminated drug needles pose a safety risk to the public and that has politicians and non-profit agencies concerned.
The Daily Gleaner has learned that a committee of concerned officials, including the Fredericton Police Force, has been meeting twice a week for more than a month to discuss solutions.
"There's a number of property owners that are touched by this - the province, the federal government - and the Delta is leasing some property as well," said police Chief Barry MacKnight.
"There are discarded needles down there and there are environmental concerns."
He said there's a mixed group of residents - homeless, addicts and people with mental health issues - and they're known to start parties late at night.
"We're working on different solutions in moving people out of there," he said.
Drug dealers are also preying on that population, not only selling drugs but stealing from the tenters, MacKnight said.
"The police presence down there is highly visible and very frequent and it will continue to be,"
Officers are taking an enforcement approach and attempting to nab hardened criminals.
"We're working at dealing with this directly, but it's not an easy one ... How to get these people out and into a more sustainable situation and how to keep the wolves away from them, those people that are taking advantage of them. It's a difficult situation," MacKnight said.
The tent city population fluctuates from two to four to a dozen depending on the weather, the day and the time.
MacKnight said there are legal issues about when and how to try to evict the campers and there are court rulings in British Columbia that give the city pause before contemplating a sweeping eviction or cleanup of the site.
Cleaning up brush and tree cover to expose the tent sites, which are often tucked back into the undergrowth along the riverbank, raises another set of legislative complications.
"There's environmental regulations about what you do with trees and growth around a watercourse," MacKnight said. "This issue is not going to be resolved in the next few days, but our primary focus has been, and always is, public safety."
Coun. Stephen Kelly is keeping a close eye on the situation in his southside ward.
"It's a very volatile situation. It's very dangerous," said Coun. Stephen Kelly, "in terms of the biohazards and some of the people down there and what they're doing.
"The tent city is growing, it's back and it's cultivating some serious issues."
Delta general manager Sarah Holyoke is on the city's tent city committee and said she's participating in hopes of finding a solution.
"I'm definitely very concerned about the situation," Holyoke said.
Paul McCarthy, president of BioRecovery Canada Inc., which does crime-scene cleanup, scanned the area to try to give the committee a sense of the extent of cleanup required.
McCarthy said the river has washed up a lot of bramble and there's concern that glass and needles can be buried beneath deposits from the spring freshet.
"There is a lot of broken glass, personal clothing items, personal hygiene applicators, a lot of plastic bags," said McCarthy, who visited the site with police two weeks ago.
McCarthy said cleaning up the site is a big job, although he said he would be happy to install sharps containers to collect used needles and service the collection sites periodically.
That opens up a debate about whether that condones illegal drug activity or protects the public, and McCarthy is mindful of those issues and said they'll be discussed
Fredericton's riverbank behind the Delta Fredericton Hotel and Government House has once again become home to drug addicts, the homeless and tenters.
Behind the brush: A tent and sleeping bag can be seen behind the Victoria Health Centre on Friday afternoon.
Human excrement, broken glass, feminine hygiene products, evidence of cooking fires and discarded, contaminated drug needles pose a safety risk to the public and that has politicians and non-profit agencies concerned.
The Daily Gleaner has learned that a committee of concerned officials, including the Fredericton Police Force, has been meeting twice a week for more than a month to discuss solutions.
"There's a number of property owners that are touched by this - the province, the federal government - and the Delta is leasing some property as well," said police Chief Barry MacKnight.
"There are discarded needles down there and there are environmental concerns."
He said there's a mixed group of residents - homeless, addicts and people with mental health issues - and they're known to start parties late at night.
"We're working on different solutions in moving people out of there," he said.
Drug dealers are also preying on that population, not only selling drugs but stealing from the tenters, MacKnight said.
"The police presence down there is highly visible and very frequent and it will continue to be,"
Officers are taking an enforcement approach and attempting to nab hardened criminals.
"We're working at dealing with this directly, but it's not an easy one ... How to get these people out and into a more sustainable situation and how to keep the wolves away from them, those people that are taking advantage of them. It's a difficult situation," MacKnight said.
The tent city population fluctuates from two to four to a dozen depending on the weather, the day and the time.
MacKnight said there are legal issues about when and how to try to evict the campers and there are court rulings in British Columbia that give the city pause before contemplating a sweeping eviction or cleanup of the site.
Cleaning up brush and tree cover to expose the tent sites, which are often tucked back into the undergrowth along the riverbank, raises another set of legislative complications.
"There's environmental regulations about what you do with trees and growth around a watercourse," MacKnight said. "This issue is not going to be resolved in the next few days, but our primary focus has been, and always is, public safety."
Coun. Stephen Kelly is keeping a close eye on the situation in his southside ward.
"It's a very volatile situation. It's very dangerous," said Coun. Stephen Kelly, "in terms of the biohazards and some of the people down there and what they're doing.
"The tent city is growing, it's back and it's cultivating some serious issues."
Delta general manager Sarah Holyoke is on the city's tent city committee and said she's participating in hopes of finding a solution.
"I'm definitely very concerned about the situation," Holyoke said.
Paul McCarthy, president of BioRecovery Canada Inc., which does crime-scene cleanup, scanned the area to try to give the committee a sense of the extent of cleanup required.
McCarthy said the river has washed up a lot of bramble and there's concern that glass and needles can be buried beneath deposits from the spring freshet.
"There is a lot of broken glass, personal clothing items, personal hygiene applicators, a lot of plastic bags," said McCarthy, who visited the site with police two weeks ago.
McCarthy said cleaning up the site is a big job, although he said he would be happy to install sharps containers to collect used needles and service the collection sites periodically.
That opens up a debate about whether that condones illegal drug activity or protects the public, and McCarthy is mindful of those issues and said they'll be discussed
Behind the brush: A tent and sleeping bag can be seen behind the Victoria Health Centre on Friday afternoon.
Human excrement, broken glass, feminine hygiene products, evidence of cooking fires and discarded, contaminated drug needles pose a safety risk to the public and that has politicians and non-profit agencies concerned.
The Daily Gleaner has learned that a committee of concerned officials, including the Fredericton Police Force, has been meeting twice a week for more than a month to discuss solutions.
"There's a number of property owners that are touched by this - the province, the federal government - and the Delta is leasing some property as well," said police Chief Barry MacKnight.
"There are discarded needles down there and there are environmental concerns."
He said there's a mixed group of residents - homeless, addicts and people with mental health issues - and they're known to start parties late at night.
"We're working on different solutions in moving people out of there," he said.
Drug dealers are also preying on that population, not only selling drugs but stealing from the tenters, MacKnight said.
"The police presence down there is highly visible and very frequent and it will continue to be,"
Officers are taking an enforcement approach and attempting to nab hardened criminals.
"We're working at dealing with this directly, but it's not an easy one ... How to get these people out and into a more sustainable situation and how to keep the wolves away from them, those people that are taking advantage of them. It's a difficult situation," MacKnight said.
The tent city population fluctuates from two to four to a dozen depending on the weather, the day and the time.
MacKnight said there are legal issues about when and how to try to evict the campers and there are court rulings in British Columbia that give the city pause before contemplating a sweeping eviction or cleanup of the site.
Cleaning up brush and tree cover to expose the tent sites, which are often tucked back into the undergrowth along the riverbank, raises another set of legislative complications.
"There's environmental regulations about what you do with trees and growth around a watercourse," MacKnight said. "This issue is not going to be resolved in the next few days, but our primary focus has been, and always is, public safety."
Coun. Stephen Kelly is keeping a close eye on the situation in his southside ward.
"It's a very volatile situation. It's very dangerous," said Coun. Stephen Kelly, "in terms of the biohazards and some of the people down there and what they're doing.
"The tent city is growing, it's back and it's cultivating some serious issues."
Delta general manager Sarah Holyoke is on the city's tent city committee and said she's participating in hopes of finding a solution.
"I'm definitely very concerned about the situation," Holyoke said.
Paul McCarthy, president of BioRecovery Canada Inc., which does crime-scene cleanup, scanned the area to try to give the committee a sense of the extent of cleanup required.
McCarthy said the river has washed up a lot of bramble and there's concern that glass and needles can be buried beneath deposits from the spring freshet.
"There is a lot of broken glass, personal clothing items, personal hygiene applicators, a lot of plastic bags," said McCarthy, who visited the site with police two weeks ago.
McCarthy said cleaning up the site is a big job, although he said he would be happy to install sharps containers to collect used needles and service the collection sites periodically.
That opens up a debate about whether that condones illegal drug activity or protects the public, and McCarthy is mindful of those issues and said they'll be discussed
Fredericton's riverbank behind the Delta Fredericton Hotel and Government House has once again become home to drug addicts, the homeless and tenters.
Behind the brush: A tent and sleeping bag can be seen behind the Victoria Health Centre on Friday afternoon.
Human excrement, broken glass, feminine hygiene products, evidence of cooking fires and discarded, contaminated drug needles pose a safety risk to the public and that has politicians and non-profit agencies concerned.
The Daily Gleaner has learned that a committee of concerned officials, including the Fredericton Police Force, has been meeting twice a week for more than a month to discuss solutions.
"There's a number of property owners that are touched by this - the province, the federal government - and the Delta is leasing some property as well," said police Chief Barry MacKnight.
"There are discarded needles down there and there are environmental concerns."
He said there's a mixed group of residents - homeless, addicts and people with mental health issues - and they're known to start parties late at night.
"We're working on different solutions in moving people out of there," he said.
Drug dealers are also preying on that population, not only selling drugs but stealing from the tenters, MacKnight said.
"The police presence down there is highly visible and very frequent and it will continue to be,"
Officers are taking an enforcement approach and attempting to nab hardened criminals.
"We're working at dealing with this directly, but it's not an easy one ... How to get these people out and into a more sustainable situation and how to keep the wolves away from them, those people that are taking advantage of them. It's a difficult situation," MacKnight said.
The tent city population fluctuates from two to four to a dozen depending on the weather, the day and the time.
MacKnight said there are legal issues about when and how to try to evict the campers and there are court rulings in British Columbia that give the city pause before contemplating a sweeping eviction or cleanup of the site.
Cleaning up brush and tree cover to expose the tent sites, which are often tucked back into the undergrowth along the riverbank, raises another set of legislative complications.
"There's environmental regulations about what you do with trees and growth around a watercourse," MacKnight said. "This issue is not going to be resolved in the next few days, but our primary focus has been, and always is, public safety."
Coun. Stephen Kelly is keeping a close eye on the situation in his southside ward.
"It's a very volatile situation. It's very dangerous," said Coun. Stephen Kelly, "in terms of the biohazards and some of the people down there and what they're doing.
"The tent city is growing, it's back and it's cultivating some serious issues."
Delta general manager Sarah Holyoke is on the city's tent city committee and said she's participating in hopes of finding a solution.
"I'm definitely very concerned about the situation," Holyoke said.
Paul McCarthy, president of BioRecovery Canada Inc., which does crime-scene cleanup, scanned the area to try to give the committee a sense of the extent of cleanup required.
McCarthy said the river has washed up a lot of bramble and there's concern that glass and needles can be buried beneath deposits from the spring freshet.
"There is a lot of broken glass, personal clothing items, personal hygiene applicators, a lot of plastic bags," said McCarthy, who visited the site with police two weeks ago.
McCarthy said cleaning up the site is a big job, although he said he would be happy to install sharps containers to collect used needles and service the collection sites periodically.
That opens up a debate about whether that condones illegal drug activity or protects the public, and McCarthy is mindful of those issues and said they'll be discussed
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Why you need crime scene cleanup services
By Alex Thomson
Crime scene cleanup or trauma scene cleanup after the death of someone either violently or naturally is by and large the responsibility of the victim’s family. Even till few years ago, there were a handful of cleaning companies that specialized in trauma cleaning service. But today this niche service has emerged as a lucrative business and there are many companies who provide this service.
Trauma cleaning service requires special experience, skills, equipment and expertise to deal with different types of bio-hazardous waste and dispose them efficiently with the minimum possible emotional stress to the victim’s family.
The most traumatic form of death is violent death and leaves the victim’s family feeling both victimized and traumatized. Coming to terms with the unnatural death of a loved one is in itself an uphill task for the bereaved family, and to top it they have to deal with other practical matters like making funeral arrangements, dealing with insurance issues, contacting surviving family and friends and locating wills. Furthermore, in case of violent crimes the police and the media are also involved. This can really overwhelm any family. Here is where trauma cleaning service comes to your rescue. They lighten one of the heaviest burdens, that is of dealing with the horrid murder cleanup. They will take care of the crime scene cleanup, ensuring that the scene is restored to its pre-incidental state as far as possible and in the most quick and efficient manner thus allowing you to deal with other important matters. Most service providers work discreetly and protect the confidentiality of the sufferer and family.
Most of the times, the crime scenes are so ghastly that they can induce additional emotional trauma in victim’s friends and family. By hiring professionals for cleanup, you can reduce this emotional stress. Immediately after death the nature begins its process of breaking down the body. Unattended death scene and dead bodies can be dangerous as it gives rise to blood borne pathogens, mold spores and bacteria. You may try to clean the area by yourself but the exposure may result in flu-like diseases or direct attack on the respiratory system. So it is advisable to leave this job to professionals who specialize in bio fluid and blood remediation.
The total cost involving a trauma scene cleanup will depend on a number of factors. One of the most major factors is that how many technicians will be needed for the job, how long will the job take and the quantity of hazardous material that needs to be treated and disposed of. It can range anywhere in the range of $100 to $1000 per hour. Some people might call this business as capitalizing on death but it is still essential and indispensable in case of a death.
Crime scene cleanup or trauma scene cleanup after the death of someone either violently or naturally is by and large the responsibility of the victim’s family. Even till few years ago, there were a handful of cleaning companies that specialized in trauma cleaning service. But today this niche service has emerged as a lucrative business and there are many companies who provide this service.
Trauma cleaning service requires special experience, skills, equipment and expertise to deal with different types of bio-hazardous waste and dispose them efficiently with the minimum possible emotional stress to the victim’s family.
The most traumatic form of death is violent death and leaves the victim’s family feeling both victimized and traumatized. Coming to terms with the unnatural death of a loved one is in itself an uphill task for the bereaved family, and to top it they have to deal with other practical matters like making funeral arrangements, dealing with insurance issues, contacting surviving family and friends and locating wills. Furthermore, in case of violent crimes the police and the media are also involved. This can really overwhelm any family. Here is where trauma cleaning service comes to your rescue. They lighten one of the heaviest burdens, that is of dealing with the horrid murder cleanup. They will take care of the crime scene cleanup, ensuring that the scene is restored to its pre-incidental state as far as possible and in the most quick and efficient manner thus allowing you to deal with other important matters. Most service providers work discreetly and protect the confidentiality of the sufferer and family.
Most of the times, the crime scenes are so ghastly that they can induce additional emotional trauma in victim’s friends and family. By hiring professionals for cleanup, you can reduce this emotional stress. Immediately after death the nature begins its process of breaking down the body. Unattended death scene and dead bodies can be dangerous as it gives rise to blood borne pathogens, mold spores and bacteria. You may try to clean the area by yourself but the exposure may result in flu-like diseases or direct attack on the respiratory system. So it is advisable to leave this job to professionals who specialize in bio fluid and blood remediation.
The total cost involving a trauma scene cleanup will depend on a number of factors. One of the most major factors is that how many technicians will be needed for the job, how long will the job take and the quantity of hazardous material that needs to be treated and disposed of. It can range anywhere in the range of $100 to $1000 per hour. Some people might call this business as capitalizing on death but it is still essential and indispensable in case of a death.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Crime Scene Cleanup: What It Involves
A crime scene cleanup service is not without its complications. Crime scene cleaning encompasses restoring the crime scene to its original state. When a crime is usually discovered, crime scene cleaners are not called until after officers of the law, like the crime scene investigators, have done their jobs first and have given the go ahead for the cleaners to come in. If you intend to hire a crime scene cleanup company, you must make sure that they are well equipped and fit right to get the job done. A crime scene presents challenging conditions.
The Use Of Protective Gears:
Crime scenes can very well involve the use of hazardous or deadly substances. For safety reasons then, it has become imperative that crime scene cleaners use protective clothing, in addition to protective tools and gadgets. You must see to it that they have all the necessary protective gears and gadgets. The protective clothing can consist of disposable gloves and suits. A disposable gear is preferred nowadays since it offers the best protection against contamination. You use it one time and get rid of it. That way, the dangers of contamination is virtually brought down to zero percent. Protective clothing extends to respirators and the use of heavy-duty industrial or chemical-spill protective boots.
Among the gadgets that a crime scene cleaning company must have are special brushes, special sprayers, and wet vacuum. These special tools ensure added protection against getting into contact with the hazard could very well be present in the crime scene. There is large, special equipment such as a mounted steam injection tool that is designed to sanitize dried up biohazard materials such as scattered flesh and brain. You would also need to check if they have the specialized tank for chemical treatments and industrial strength waste containers to collect biohazard waste.
Of course, any crime scene clean up must have the usual cleaning supplies common to all cleaning service companies. There are the buckets, mops, brushes and spray bottles. For cleaning products, you should check if they use industrial cleaning products. A crime scene cleaning company must have these on their lists:
1 - Disinfectants including hydrogen peroxide and bleaches - The kinds that the hospitals used are commonly acceptable.
2 - Enzyme solvers for cleaning blood stains. It also kills viruses and bacteria.
3 - Odor removers such as foggers, ozone machines, and deodorizers
4 - Handy tools for breaking and extending such as saws, sledgehammers, and ladders
Established crime scene operators also equip themselves with cameras and take pictures of the crime scene before commencing work which. The pictures taken may prove useful for legal matters and insurance purposes. You never know which.
Needless to say, a specially fitted form of transportation and proper waste disposal is also needed. These requirements are specific. As you can imagine, crime scene cleaning is in a different category on its own. A home cleaning or janitorial service company may not be able to cope up with the demands of a crime scene. A crime scene cleanup service requires many special gears and tools that a home cleaning or a janitorial service company does not usually have or does not require. Crime scene cleaning if not done correctly can expose the public to untold hazards.
What Else To Look For In A Crime Scene Cleanup Company
You may also want to hire a company that has established itself. An experienced company with a strong reputation is always a plus but it could be expensive too. You will do well to balance your needs with what is your budget. There are several companies that offer specific prices such as for death scene clean up categories and suicide clean up categories. Most companies own a website and have round the clock customer service as receptionists.
When looking for a suitable crime scene cleaning service, among the first things you need to do is to scout for price quotes. Crime scene cleanup services usually provide quote after they have examined the crime scene and then they give you a definite quote. Factors that are usually considered include the number of personnel that will be needed to get the job done. It also includes the amount of time that might be needed. The nature and amount of the waste materials that need to be disposed will also be factored in. You can be sure that the more sophisticated equipments needed the more expensive it will get.
Crime Scene Cleanup And Your Insurance
For homeowners, the best approach is always to make sure that crime scene cleanup services clauses and provisions are written down on the contracts or policies. The inclusion of crime cleanup services clauses is very common and has become standard clause in most homeowner’s policy. Make sure that you are covered for this unforeseen event. Make sure that your policy directs the crime scene cleaning company to transact directly with the homeowner insurance company. A crime scene cleaning service is usually a standard clause in many homeowners’ insurance clause. These companies often do the paperwork in behalf of clients.
If for some reason you do not have such coverage by any policies relating to crime scene cleanup on your home, there are ways to keep your expenses controlled.
Finding the right company can be very taxing, especially that you have to deal with the emotional stress stemming from the crime itself, especially with a crime scene involving death.
There are many crime scene cleanup companies in operation nowadays. There are reliable professionals that you can hire and prices are relatively competitive. As of recently, crime-scene cleanup services can cost up to $600 for an hour of their service. A homicide case alone involving a single room and a huge amount of blood can cost about $1,000 to $3,000.
In recent years, crime scene cleaning has come to be known as, "Crime and Trauma Scene Decontamination or CTS. Basically, CTS is a special form of crime scene cleaning focusing on decontamination of the crime scene from hazardous substances such as those resulting from violent crimes or those involving chemical contaminations such as methamphetamine labs or anthrax production. This type of service is particularly common when violent crimes are committed in a home. It is rare that the residents move out of the home after it has become a scene of a crime. Most often, the residents just opt to have it cleaned up. That is why, it is very important to hire the best crime scene cleaning company out there. The place needs to be totally free from contamination of any kind. You have to make sure that the company is able to remove all traces of the violent crime that took place. This includes cleaning biohazards that are sometimes invisible to the untrained eye.
Legally speaking, federal laws state that all bodily fluids are deemed biohazards and you should make sure that the cleanup service company you hire understands this and includes it in the cleanup. These things appear as blood or tissue splattered on a crime scene. You must be able to hire a company that is equipped with special knowledge to safely handle biohazard materials. The company must have the knowledge what to search for in any give biohazard crime scene. For instance, the company should be able to tell clues such that if there is a bloodstain the size of a thumbnail on a carpet, you can bet that there is about a huge bloodstain underneath. Federal and State laws have their own laws in terms of transport and disposal of biohazard waste. Make sure that the company you hire has all the permits necessary.
It will also be a huge plus if you could hire people who not only has the special trainings but also who have the nature to be sympathetic. If you are close to the victim and have the cleaning done at the behest of the victim’s relatives, it would matter that the cleaners tread the site with some level of respect. It is a common site that family members and loved ones are often there at scene. In general, when looking for a suitable crime scene cleaners, you would take into considerations the kind of situation that the crimes scene presents and the demands that it require. Crime scene cleaning companies handle a wide variety of crime scenes and prices may vary from one to the other crime scene and one to the other company.
Each type of scene requires its own particular demands not only to make the crime scene look clean and neat on the surface but to make it germ free, and clean inside and to make it free from all deadly and infectious substances. The cleanup cost for biohazards may vary depending on degree of the bio hazard(s) on the scene. There may even be a category that changes the cleanup pricing which usually involves decomposing bodies and carcasses. Likewise, a cleanup of chemical hazards vary, depending on the amount of chemical hazards as well as the grades i.e. how hazardous the substance is in terms of human contact. Prices are also determined by the number of hours and personnel that it would to get the crime scene cleaned. In addition, the "gross factor" from crime scene involving death and gore needs to be taken under consideration regarding the chemicals that will be used as opposed to those crimes' that do not have gore involved.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Traumatic Grief
By Nancy Crump
Since the late 1980’s, we have seen an increase in interest and research on the effects of trauma on the grief process. We have learned that the grief process from the sudden, unexpected, and often violent deaths of suicide, homicide, auto accidents, natural disasters, and other types of deaths, is very different from the grief process of those who have died from natural causes, old age, or long-termed illness. Many, if not all, of the deaths faced by Bio Technicians fall into the category of traumatic. Those family members who hire you have usually been touched by the trauma of the death. Understanding the traumatic grief process and its differences from other types of grief may be of some help to you as you deal with these family members.
There are several key elements that make the responses by family members to a traumatic death difficult. First is the suddenness of the death. Family members usually did not have time to prepare themselves for the death and to make the psychological adjustments to cope with the news of the death. Also, the suddenness of the death does not give the family an opportunity to say goodbye to the victim before their death. Second, the violence of the death may leave the family with horrific memories and nightmares that often interfere with the grief process. Third, many of these types of deaths require police intervention and the family is often not given the support, information, and compassion they need at the time. Another element can be the presence of the media at the time of the death, as well as weeks and months later if legal issues follow the death. Most traumatic deaths involve young people who’s parents, grandparents, and siblings may still live. Certainly, the death of a child or young person is very difficult to cope with.
Reactions to a traumatic death can be very different, more intense, and longer lasting than other types of death. The emotions following a traumatic death are often conflicting and intense. There is a tendency to relive the death event over and over in an attempt to make it real. Intrusive thoughts and nightmares are very common. Intense physical responses such as inability to eat or sleep, stomach aches and headaches, muscle tension, high blood pressure and a decrease in the autoimmune system are also common. Many times, the survivors must deal with intense feelings of guilt or remorse, feeling that they were somehow responsible or could have prevented the death “if only”. Family members have the need to tell the story of the death over and over again in an attempt to gain a sense of the reality of the death. They often have an overwhelming need to learn all they can about the circumstances of the death - how the person died, whether they were in pain, did they know they were dying, what were their last words, who saw what happened, and in cases of homicide, who committed the murder. All of these reactions are ways the survivors use to grasp the reality of the death and to begin the grief process.
As Bio Technicians, you are often called by family members or meet them upon arrival to the scene. Understanding some of the dynamics of trauma on the grief process may help as you help the family. Understanding the “normalcy” of the reactions you may see can help you feel more competent and assured to speak with family members without wondering whether or not you are saying the “right” thing. Some suggestions are listed below, but the most important thing is to convey sincerity and compassion to the family. They are very vulnerable and sensitive to words, expressions, and body language. Just make sure that what you say and do is congruent with how you feel or you will come across as insincere and uncaring.
Soon after a traumatic death, most survivors simply need to tell the story to anyone who will listen. It is important for their recovery to be able to do this. If you have time to listen, do so. They are not necessarily looking for any input from you; they just need someone to listen.
Remember that there are two basic rules for grieving people – you don’t hurt yourself or someone else. If, during the conversation, you hear comments that indicate the person is thinking of either, you might suggest they go talk to someone else before making a decision to do something like this. Create a list of counselors, therapists, or mental health centers to hand out at times like these. Take comments about thoughts of suicide seriously and offer to call a friend or family member to be with the person and get them help. Suicide rates often increase after a sudden, traumatic death of a loved one. These are very difficult situations for you as a caregiver, but you need to set limits as to what you can and cannot do. Listening and having resources available are all you need. The survivor needs to take some responsibility for them, and others who are better trained to handle these situations need to be contacted.
Although many reactions may look and feel “crazy”, most are normal reactions to the situation. Again, as long as they don’t hurt themselves or someone else, they are probably reacting normally to an abnormal situation. Helping normalize these reactions is very helpful to the survivor. Encouraging the survivor to talk and to express what they are experiencing is also helpful. Making a simple statement such as, “I think I’d feel the same way if this happened to me”, helps the survivor feel less out of control.
There are many support groups available to survivors that would make a good resource for them. Creating a list of those in your community or in nearby communities is a great gift for survivors. They may not want to attend a support group, but usually someone from the group is always willing to talk to them by telephone or offer assistance.
In the work you do, you may find yourself in situations of dealing with survivors who have needs you do not feel comfortable or competent in dealing with. That’s okay as it is not your responsibility to be all things to all people. However, there are these simple steps you can take to help your families in a meaningful way. You can listen. You can refer. You can offer resources. Having some general knowledge of the traumatic grief process may make you feel more competent in dealing with your families and knowing that you are being supportive and helpful in a meaningful way.
Below are some national organizations that offer support groups in almost every locality. They are specific to either the type of death or the relationship to the person who died and are more appropriate to traumatic deaths. They all have web sites or central telephone numbers that can be contacted for local information.
The Compassionate Friends – for parents’ whose child has died of any cause.
MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Drivers offer support for parents who a drunk driver killed child
Widowed Persons Service – sponsored by AARP for spousal death
SOS – Survivors of Suicide support groups
POMC – Parents of Murdered Children and other victims of homicide.
These and many other groups may be listed at your county’s Victim Assistance Office usually located in the office of the District Attorney. Also, check with your local hospices or hospitals. They offer support groups that are open to the public. Some local churches may also host support groups. As you create your list, don’t try to keep up with the dates and times of group meetings as they change frequently. All you need is the name of the group, a telephone number, and possibly a contact person. Leave it to the survivors to take the responsibility to make the calls on their own behalf.
Since the late 1980’s, we have seen an increase in interest and research on the effects of trauma on the grief process. We have learned that the grief process from the sudden, unexpected, and often violent deaths of suicide, homicide, auto accidents, natural disasters, and other types of deaths, is very different from the grief process of those who have died from natural causes, old age, or long-termed illness. Many, if not all, of the deaths faced by Bio Technicians fall into the category of traumatic. Those family members who hire you have usually been touched by the trauma of the death. Understanding the traumatic grief process and its differences from other types of grief may be of some help to you as you deal with these family members.
There are several key elements that make the responses by family members to a traumatic death difficult. First is the suddenness of the death. Family members usually did not have time to prepare themselves for the death and to make the psychological adjustments to cope with the news of the death. Also, the suddenness of the death does not give the family an opportunity to say goodbye to the victim before their death. Second, the violence of the death may leave the family with horrific memories and nightmares that often interfere with the grief process. Third, many of these types of deaths require police intervention and the family is often not given the support, information, and compassion they need at the time. Another element can be the presence of the media at the time of the death, as well as weeks and months later if legal issues follow the death. Most traumatic deaths involve young people who’s parents, grandparents, and siblings may still live. Certainly, the death of a child or young person is very difficult to cope with.
Reactions to a traumatic death can be very different, more intense, and longer lasting than other types of death. The emotions following a traumatic death are often conflicting and intense. There is a tendency to relive the death event over and over in an attempt to make it real. Intrusive thoughts and nightmares are very common. Intense physical responses such as inability to eat or sleep, stomach aches and headaches, muscle tension, high blood pressure and a decrease in the autoimmune system are also common. Many times, the survivors must deal with intense feelings of guilt or remorse, feeling that they were somehow responsible or could have prevented the death “if only”. Family members have the need to tell the story of the death over and over again in an attempt to gain a sense of the reality of the death. They often have an overwhelming need to learn all they can about the circumstances of the death - how the person died, whether they were in pain, did they know they were dying, what were their last words, who saw what happened, and in cases of homicide, who committed the murder. All of these reactions are ways the survivors use to grasp the reality of the death and to begin the grief process.
As Bio Technicians, you are often called by family members or meet them upon arrival to the scene. Understanding some of the dynamics of trauma on the grief process may help as you help the family. Understanding the “normalcy” of the reactions you may see can help you feel more competent and assured to speak with family members without wondering whether or not you are saying the “right” thing. Some suggestions are listed below, but the most important thing is to convey sincerity and compassion to the family. They are very vulnerable and sensitive to words, expressions, and body language. Just make sure that what you say and do is congruent with how you feel or you will come across as insincere and uncaring.
Soon after a traumatic death, most survivors simply need to tell the story to anyone who will listen. It is important for their recovery to be able to do this. If you have time to listen, do so. They are not necessarily looking for any input from you; they just need someone to listen.
Remember that there are two basic rules for grieving people – you don’t hurt yourself or someone else. If, during the conversation, you hear comments that indicate the person is thinking of either, you might suggest they go talk to someone else before making a decision to do something like this. Create a list of counselors, therapists, or mental health centers to hand out at times like these. Take comments about thoughts of suicide seriously and offer to call a friend or family member to be with the person and get them help. Suicide rates often increase after a sudden, traumatic death of a loved one. These are very difficult situations for you as a caregiver, but you need to set limits as to what you can and cannot do. Listening and having resources available are all you need. The survivor needs to take some responsibility for them, and others who are better trained to handle these situations need to be contacted.
Although many reactions may look and feel “crazy”, most are normal reactions to the situation. Again, as long as they don’t hurt themselves or someone else, they are probably reacting normally to an abnormal situation. Helping normalize these reactions is very helpful to the survivor. Encouraging the survivor to talk and to express what they are experiencing is also helpful. Making a simple statement such as, “I think I’d feel the same way if this happened to me”, helps the survivor feel less out of control.
There are many support groups available to survivors that would make a good resource for them. Creating a list of those in your community or in nearby communities is a great gift for survivors. They may not want to attend a support group, but usually someone from the group is always willing to talk to them by telephone or offer assistance.
In the work you do, you may find yourself in situations of dealing with survivors who have needs you do not feel comfortable or competent in dealing with. That’s okay as it is not your responsibility to be all things to all people. However, there are these simple steps you can take to help your families in a meaningful way. You can listen. You can refer. You can offer resources. Having some general knowledge of the traumatic grief process may make you feel more competent in dealing with your families and knowing that you are being supportive and helpful in a meaningful way.
Below are some national organizations that offer support groups in almost every locality. They are specific to either the type of death or the relationship to the person who died and are more appropriate to traumatic deaths. They all have web sites or central telephone numbers that can be contacted for local information.
The Compassionate Friends – for parents’ whose child has died of any cause.
MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Drivers offer support for parents who a drunk driver killed child
Widowed Persons Service – sponsored by AARP for spousal death
SOS – Survivors of Suicide support groups
POMC – Parents of Murdered Children and other victims of homicide.
These and many other groups may be listed at your county’s Victim Assistance Office usually located in the office of the District Attorney. Also, check with your local hospices or hospitals. They offer support groups that are open to the public. Some local churches may also host support groups. As you create your list, don’t try to keep up with the dates and times of group meetings as they change frequently. All you need is the name of the group, a telephone number, and possibly a contact person. Leave it to the survivors to take the responsibility to make the calls on their own behalf.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Picking up after the Grim Reaper
Bio-recovery technicians specialize in Ottawa's death scene cleanups
Roger Collier, The Ottawa Citizen
Saturday, May 02, 2009
People often ask them if they are used to the smell. No, they answer, you never get used to it. Besides, the smell tells you things. It tells you if the deceased was a meat-eater or a vegetarian or an alcoholic. It tells you how long the body had been in the home before it was found and removed. When they start cleaning, though, they put their masks on tight to keep out the smell. It's often apparent that those who visited the scene before them took no such precaution.
"From the piles of vomit on the way in you can tell how bad it's going to be," says Kevin Greenwood, president of One Call Services, the only company in the Ottawa area that specializes in crime, trauma and death scene cleanup.
The company, founded three years ago, has two other full-time employees: Jeremy Greenwood, Kevin's 20-year-old son, and John Wayne O'Brien. All three are bio-recovery technicians, the only ones in Ottawa certified by the American Bio-Recovery Association. Only about 34 Canadians have the certification.
Death scene cleanup makes up between 60 and 70 per cent of their work. The rest includes cleaning up after industrial accidents, ridding old meth labs and grow ops of mould and corrosive chemicals, and decontaminating sites littered with animal or human feces.
About a third of the deaths they clean up after are suicides. Most of the others are from natural causes, but like many of the suicides, they can be messy -- depending on how much a body has decomposed. It is not uncommon for the death of a person who lived alone to go unnoticed for weeks.
"You're never quite as alone as when you die," says Greenwood.
In some cities, bio-recovery companies are called to a lot of crime scenes. But Ottawa is a relatively safe town, so those are rare for One Call Services. On a recent Thursday afternoon, though, a victim support agency called them to clean up after an assault in a boarding house.
One Call Services relies on referrals. Some come from Ottawa police, others from Provincial Removal Service, a company that transfers bodies to funeral homes. The calls can come during dinner, at 4 a.m., on weekends. A three-call week is a busy one.
Marketing their services is the most difficult part of the business. It's not the type of thing you put on a billboard. Most people assume the police clean death scenes, or perhaps paramedics. When they learn that's not the case, family members most often do the cleaning themselves. That's unfortunate, Greenwood says, because they could be exposing themselves to viruses like HIV or Hepatitis C, not to mention profound psychological trauma.
Just before 4 p.m., the guys arrive at the assault scene. The company owns two white vans, both unmarked so they don't draw attention. (Even the company's generic name and motto -- "Help is One Call Away" -- were chosen with discretion in mind.) "There's a reason we don't call ourselves Blood and Guts Cleaners," says Greenwood.
Greenwood climbs the narrow stairs leading to the scene and finds traces of blood in the hallway, in the victim's bedroom and in the boarding house's shared bathroom. The victim had been stabbed in the chest and back the night before, though he is already out of hospital and back home. At the entrance to his tiny, cluttered room, the man tells O'Brien about the attack.
"He wanted to tell me what happened," says O'Brien. "So I let him."
This will be a quick job, a couple of hours at most. The cost, which the victim agency will cover, will be $600. Most jobs are longer and more complicated. They once did an apartment that belonged to a man who died 15 days before being discovered -- in July. The place reeked and was crawling with flies. It took three weeks to finish the job.
Another time a man died while cooking. He was found a week later, the crock pot on his counter boiled dry. Then there was the guy who committed suicide with a shotgun in front of a wood pile. On that job, One Call Services ended up pulling 450 kilograms of waste to an incinerator in Brampton.
Jeremy and O'Brien return to the van for supplies. Minutes later, they come back covered head to toe: disposable protective suits, clear plastic booties, masks and gloves duct-taped at the wrist. They enter the "red zone" (contaminated area) and O'Brien sprays the floor with a chemical that detects blood. Some of the dried flecks on the hardwood turn white, indicating blood, but the large brown spots near the coffee table remain dark. Probably bile.
Greenwood hovers outside the door -- in the "yellow zone" -- and hands supplies to the guys in the room. Jeremy gets on his knees and starts to scrub. O'Brien picks up pill bottles and puts them in a baggie that he places outside the door. Then he starts to sort through garbage, tossing anything contaminated with bodily fluids into a yellow bag, which will be incinerated, and everything else into a blue bag.
Although it isn't glamorous work, the profession has received some attention from Hollywood. In 2007, Samuel L. Jackson starred in Cleaner, a movie about a man tricked into cleaning a murder scene. In Sunshine Cleaning, still in theatres, a single mom starts a crime scene cleanup company with her sister.
Perhaps these movies are one reason why some people have told the guys at One Call Services they have cool jobs. Or maybe these admirers watch too much CSI.
"Our jobs are not cool," says O'Brien. "We pick up human feces."
But their jobs are rewarding, they say. They perform a service that makes bad situations better, if only a little. Back in their Carp office, there's a card from a client who wrote that "it takes very special people to accomplish what needs to be done in times of death."
"It does make you feel good," O'Brien says. "And God forbid they should have to do it themselves."
Roger Collier, The Ottawa Citizen
Saturday, May 02, 2009
People often ask them if they are used to the smell. No, they answer, you never get used to it. Besides, the smell tells you things. It tells you if the deceased was a meat-eater or a vegetarian or an alcoholic. It tells you how long the body had been in the home before it was found and removed. When they start cleaning, though, they put their masks on tight to keep out the smell. It's often apparent that those who visited the scene before them took no such precaution.
"From the piles of vomit on the way in you can tell how bad it's going to be," says Kevin Greenwood, president of One Call Services, the only company in the Ottawa area that specializes in crime, trauma and death scene cleanup.
The company, founded three years ago, has two other full-time employees: Jeremy Greenwood, Kevin's 20-year-old son, and John Wayne O'Brien. All three are bio-recovery technicians, the only ones in Ottawa certified by the American Bio-Recovery Association. Only about 34 Canadians have the certification.
Death scene cleanup makes up between 60 and 70 per cent of their work. The rest includes cleaning up after industrial accidents, ridding old meth labs and grow ops of mould and corrosive chemicals, and decontaminating sites littered with animal or human feces.
About a third of the deaths they clean up after are suicides. Most of the others are from natural causes, but like many of the suicides, they can be messy -- depending on how much a body has decomposed. It is not uncommon for the death of a person who lived alone to go unnoticed for weeks.
"You're never quite as alone as when you die," says Greenwood.
In some cities, bio-recovery companies are called to a lot of crime scenes. But Ottawa is a relatively safe town, so those are rare for One Call Services. On a recent Thursday afternoon, though, a victim support agency called them to clean up after an assault in a boarding house.
One Call Services relies on referrals. Some come from Ottawa police, others from Provincial Removal Service, a company that transfers bodies to funeral homes. The calls can come during dinner, at 4 a.m., on weekends. A three-call week is a busy one.
Marketing their services is the most difficult part of the business. It's not the type of thing you put on a billboard. Most people assume the police clean death scenes, or perhaps paramedics. When they learn that's not the case, family members most often do the cleaning themselves. That's unfortunate, Greenwood says, because they could be exposing themselves to viruses like HIV or Hepatitis C, not to mention profound psychological trauma.
Just before 4 p.m., the guys arrive at the assault scene. The company owns two white vans, both unmarked so they don't draw attention. (Even the company's generic name and motto -- "Help is One Call Away" -- were chosen with discretion in mind.) "There's a reason we don't call ourselves Blood and Guts Cleaners," says Greenwood.
Greenwood climbs the narrow stairs leading to the scene and finds traces of blood in the hallway, in the victim's bedroom and in the boarding house's shared bathroom. The victim had been stabbed in the chest and back the night before, though he is already out of hospital and back home. At the entrance to his tiny, cluttered room, the man tells O'Brien about the attack.
"He wanted to tell me what happened," says O'Brien. "So I let him."
This will be a quick job, a couple of hours at most. The cost, which the victim agency will cover, will be $600. Most jobs are longer and more complicated. They once did an apartment that belonged to a man who died 15 days before being discovered -- in July. The place reeked and was crawling with flies. It took three weeks to finish the job.
Another time a man died while cooking. He was found a week later, the crock pot on his counter boiled dry. Then there was the guy who committed suicide with a shotgun in front of a wood pile. On that job, One Call Services ended up pulling 450 kilograms of waste to an incinerator in Brampton.
Jeremy and O'Brien return to the van for supplies. Minutes later, they come back covered head to toe: disposable protective suits, clear plastic booties, masks and gloves duct-taped at the wrist. They enter the "red zone" (contaminated area) and O'Brien sprays the floor with a chemical that detects blood. Some of the dried flecks on the hardwood turn white, indicating blood, but the large brown spots near the coffee table remain dark. Probably bile.
Greenwood hovers outside the door -- in the "yellow zone" -- and hands supplies to the guys in the room. Jeremy gets on his knees and starts to scrub. O'Brien picks up pill bottles and puts them in a baggie that he places outside the door. Then he starts to sort through garbage, tossing anything contaminated with bodily fluids into a yellow bag, which will be incinerated, and everything else into a blue bag.
Although it isn't glamorous work, the profession has received some attention from Hollywood. In 2007, Samuel L. Jackson starred in Cleaner, a movie about a man tricked into cleaning a murder scene. In Sunshine Cleaning, still in theatres, a single mom starts a crime scene cleanup company with her sister.
Perhaps these movies are one reason why some people have told the guys at One Call Services they have cool jobs. Or maybe these admirers watch too much CSI.
"Our jobs are not cool," says O'Brien. "We pick up human feces."
But their jobs are rewarding, they say. They perform a service that makes bad situations better, if only a little. Back in their Carp office, there's a card from a client who wrote that "it takes very special people to accomplish what needs to be done in times of death."
"It does make you feel good," O'Brien says. "And God forbid they should have to do it themselves."
Sunday, April 26, 2009
RELEASE: Statement from Town and Gown Players
ATHENS (MyFOX ATLANTA) - The three people we lost yesterday were a part of the rich 50-year history of this theater and, more than that, were vital members of the Town and Gown family.
Ben Teague, loving husband of UGA's Dr. Fran Teague for more than 40 years, was not only a friend but also a father figure to all at the theater. One would be hard pressed to find a Town and Gowner who had not learned at least one life lesson from this wise and kind hearted man. His wife wishes to say, "Yesterday Ben was murdered, which is hard to comprehend and impossible to accept. It was a beautiful day, however, and he was in his favorite place with the people he loved." Ben was a translator of German, Russian and English.
Marie Bruce was the binding force that held the Town and Gown community together. Having worked with Town and Gown for over 20 years, at one time or another she served in every capacity at the theater, artistically and administratively, from leading lady to president of the board to chief cook and bottle washer. A local attorney, Marie was the mother of two young children.
A gentle presence, Tom Tanner breathed life into every corner of Town and Gown through his quiet diligence and astounding creativity - most would call him genius. Father of an equally amazing daughter, Tom would tell you that while he enjoyed his work as director of the Regional Dynamics Economic Modeling Laboratory at Clemson University, his heart lived and thrived in the theater.
Ben, Marie and Tom were a part of our family, and as painful as their loss is for us, we know it is even more painful for their families. We want to extend our deepest sympathy to their immediate family and close friends outside the theater community. There are no words we can use to adequately express our grief.
We would like to thank the Athens Police department and the media for their respectful treatment of this tragedy. We want to thank the American Bio Recovery Association and A1 BIO-Clean Service for the generous donation of their services in our time of need. We also want to thank the Athens Community for their support. This tragedy effects everyone in the community in some way, and we know you share in our loss. We ask that the media continue to be respectful of our privacy during this difficult time.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Cleanup completed at Civic Association
April 5, 2009
Cleanup has been completed at the American Civic Association building in Binghamton, where a gunman killed 13 people and injured four before taking his own life Friday.
The American Bio-Recovery Association, a non-profit international association of crime and trauma scene professionals, said Sunday that the bio-recovery cleaning was complete. The Ipswich, Mass.-based group provided the service at no cost.
Two member companies, Disaster Clean Up of Endwell and the Bio-Recovery Corporation of New York City, donated labor and supplies to remediate the scene with a crew of six technicians.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
The Top 13 Worst Jobs with the Best Pay
These are dirty jobs and somebody has to do them. At least they get paid well for their efforts
Think you have a lousy job? You're not alone. So do about half of your fellow workers—and about a quarter of them are only showing up to collect a paycheck, according to a survey conducted by London-based market information company TNS. Grumbling over the size of that check is common, too. About two-thirds of workers believe they don't get paid enough, says TNS—even though many of them may actually be overpaid, compared to average compensation data
Crime-Scene Cleaner
Average pay: $50,400
If crime-scene cleanup was just wiping blood off the floors—well, that would be easy. But CSI fans with get-rich-quick dreams should note the job involves more than handiness with a mop and a tolerance for the smell of decomposing flesh. Getting rid of bodily fluids typically calls for more rough-and-ready methods, such as ripping up carpet, tile, and baseboards. It also sometimes means working in confined spaces (if someone was electrocuted in an attic, for example). And when tearing up old houses, workers face exposure to hazards such as lead paint and asbestos—not to mention the combustible chemicals involved in drug-lab abatement.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Crime Scene Cleanup: What It Involves
The Restoration Resource
A crime scene cleanup service is not without its complications. Crime scene cleaning encompasses restoring the crime scene to its original state. When a crime is usually discovered, crime scene cleaners are not called until after officers of the law, like the crime scene investigators, have done their jobs first and have given the go ahead for the cleaners to come in. If you intend to hire a crime scene cleanup company, you must make sure that they are well equipped and fit right to get the job done. A crime scene presents challenging conditions.
The Use Of Protective Gears:
Crime scenes can very well involve the use of hazardous or deadly substances. For safety reasons then, it has become imperative that crime scene cleaners use protective clothing, in addition to protective tools and gadgets. You must see to it that they have all the necessary protective gears and gadgets. The protective clothing can consist of disposable gloves and suits. A disposable gear is preferred nowadays since it offers the best protection against contamination. You use it one time and get rid of it. That way, the dangers of contamination is virtually brought down to zero percent. Protective clothing extends to respirators and the use of heavy-duty industrial or chemical-spill protective boots.
Among the gadgets that a crime scene cleaning company must have are special brushes, special sprayers, and wet vacuum. These special tools ensure added protection against getting into contact with the hazard could very well be present in the crime scene. There is large, special equipment such as a mounted steam injection tool that is designed to sanitize dried up biohazard materials such as scattered flesh and brain. You would also need to check if they have the specialized tank for chemical treatments and industrial strength waste containers to collect biohazard waste.
Of course, any crime scene clean up must have the usual cleaning supplies common to all cleaning service companies. There are the buckets, mops, brushes and spray bottles. For cleaning products, you should check if they use industrial cleaning products. A crime scene cleaning company must have these on their lists:
1 - Disinfectants including hydrogen peroxide and bleaches - The kinds that the hospitals used are commonly acceptable.
2 - Enzyme solvers for cleaning blood stains. It also kills viruses and bacteria.
3 - Odor removers such as foggers, ozone machines, and deodorizers
4 - Handy tools for breaking and extending such as saws, sledgehammers, and ladders
Established crime scene operators also equip themselves with cameras and take pictures of the crime scene before commencing work which. The pictures taken may prove useful for legal matters and insurance purposes. You never know which.
Needless to say, a specially fitted form of transportation and proper waste disposal is also needed. These requirements are specific. As you can imagine, crime scene cleaning is in a different category on its own. A home cleaning or janitorial service company may not be able to cope up with the demands of a crime scene. A crime scene cleanup service requires many special gears and tools that a home cleaning or a janitorial service company does not usually have or does not require. Crime scene cleaning if not done correctly can expose the public to untold hazards.
What Else To Look For In A Crime Scene Cleanup Company
You may also want to hire a company that has established itself. An experienced company with a strong reputation is always a plus but it could be expensive too. You will do well to balance your needs with what is your budget. There are several companies that offer specific prices such as for death scene clean up categories and suicide clean up categories. Most companies own a website and have round the clock customer service as receptionists.
When looking for a suitable crime scene cleaning service, among the first things you need to do is to scout for price quotes. Crime scene cleanup services usually provide quote after they have examined the crime scene and then they give you a definite quote. Factors that are usually considered include the number of personnel that will be needed to get the job done. It also includes the amount of time that might be needed. The nature and amount of the waste materials that need to be disposed will also be factored in. You can be sure that the more sophisticated equipments needed the more expensive it will get.
Crime Scene Cleanup And Your Insurance
For homeowners, the best approach is always to make sure that crime scene cleanup services clauses and provisions are written down on the contracts or policies. The inclusion of crime cleanup services clauses is very common and has become standard clause in most homeowner’s policy. Make sure that you are covered for this unforeseen event. Make sure that your policy directs the crime scene cleaning company to transact directly with the homeowner insurance company. A crime scene cleaning service is usually a standard clause in many homeowners’ insurance clause. These companies often do the paperwork in behalf of clients.
If for some reason you do not have such coverage by any policies relating to crime scene cleanup on your home, there are ways to keep your expenses controlled.
Finding the right company can be very taxing, especially that you have to deal with the emotional stress stemming from the crime itself, especially with a crime scene involving death.
There are many crime scene cleanup companies in operation nowadays. There are reliable professionals that you can hire and prices are relatively competitive. As of recently, crime-scene cleanup services can cost up to $600 for an hour of their service. A homicide case alone involving a single room and a huge amount of blood can cost about $1,000 to $3,000.
In recent years, crime scene cleaning has come to be known as, "Crime and Trauma Scene Decontamination or CTS. Basically, CTS is a special form of crime scene cleaning focusing on decontamination of the crime scene from hazardous substances such as those resulting from violent crimes or those involving chemical contaminations such as methamphetamine labs or anthrax production. This type of service is particularly common when violent crimes are committed in a home. It is rare that the residents move out of the home after it has become a scene of a crime. Most often, the residents just opt to have it cleaned up. That is why, it is very important to hire the best crime scene cleaning company out there. The place needs to be totally free from contamination of any kind. You have to make sure that the company is able to remove all traces of the violent crime that took place. This includes cleaning biohazards that are sometimes invisible to the untrained eye.
Legally speaking, federal laws state that all bodily fluids are deemed biohazards and you should make sure that the cleanup service company you hire understands this and includes it in the cleanup. These things appear as blood or tissue splattered on a crime scene. You must be able to hire a company that is equipped with special knowledge to safely handle biohazard materials. The company must have the knowledge what to search for in any give biohazard crime scene. For instance, the company should be able to tell clues such that if there is a bloodstain the size of a thumbnail on a carpet, you can bet that there is about a huge bloodstain underneath. Federal and State laws have their own laws in terms of transport and disposal of biohazard waste. Make sure that the company you hire has all the permits necessary.
It will also be a huge plus if you could hire people who not only has the special trainings but also who have the nature to be sympathetic. If you are close to the victim and have the cleaning done at the behest of the victim’s relatives, it would matter that the cleaners tread the site with some level of respect. It is a common site that family members and loved ones are often there at scene. In general, when looking for a suitable crime scene cleaners, you would take into considerations the kind of situation that the crimes scene presents and the demands that it require. Crime scene cleaning companies handle a wide variety of crime scenes and prices may vary from one to the other crime scene and one to the other company.
Each type of scene requires its own particular demands not only to make the crime scene look clean and neat on the surface but to make it germ free, and clean inside and to make it free from all deadly and infectious substances. The cleanup cost for biohazards may vary depending on degree of the bio hazard(s) on the scene. There may even be a category that changes the cleanup pricing which usually involves decomposing bodies and carcasses. Likewise, a cleanup of chemical hazards vary, depending on the amount of chemical hazards as well as the grades i.e. how hazardous the substance is in terms of human contact. Prices are also determined by the number of hours and personnel that it would to get the crime scene cleaned. In addition, the "gross factor" from crime scene involving death and gore needs to be taken under consideration regarding the chemicals that will be used as opposed to those crimes' that do not have gore involved.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Biohazard team no job for squeamish
Biohazard team no job for squeamish
Widow was so impressed with work done after husband's suicide that she signed on to help
Elise Stolte
The Edmonton Journal
EDMONTON - When Marina Desjardins' husband shot himself to death on her front lawn, it fell to Brent Olynyk to clean up the mess.
The founder of Trauma Scene Bio Services keeps his cellphone on 24/7 for emergencies just like that across Alberta. He aims to be on the road within an hour and his 4x4 pickup is equipped with lights and sirens so his team can drive "Code 1" if they have to.
After police finished analyzing the scene at Desjardins' home, Marina was so impressed with Olynyk's work and the relief it brings to victims' families, she wanted to join him.
"I think I can do this," said Desjardins, who also works as a palliative care nurse, easing the physical pain of the dying. "You can't show me anything as bad as what I've seen." Consensus in the industry is that former victims wouldn't be able to handle continually seeing the trauma, but Desjardins was determined.
Less than six months after her husband died, she joined Olynyk's team and has now been working with him for almost a year. She has helped at nearly 50 scenes and doesn't try to distance herself from what she sees.
"I like to know what happened. That was someone's home, husband or child. To be honest, I find it very therapeutic that I can guarantee a widow I can erase the visual parts of that trauma from her life. Of course, you can never take the mental part away." Olynyk's background is with the RCMP and then Edmonton police. He started looking for something else after a highway accident put him behind a desk.
Starting Trauma Scene Bio Services was a chance to get back on the road. "I saw the need," he said. "There was no one specialized in this." Olynyk's biohazard team handles everything from crime and trauma scenes to outbreaks of Norwalk virus on cruise ships. Olynyk studied at several institutes across the United States to protect his team from hepatitis, HIV and other serious blood-borne diseases.
Olynyk started the company five years ago and now has seven part-time, on-call assistants. Now the medical examiner's office and sometimes detectives or members of the police identification unit will often refer victims' families to him when they are dealing with a messy scene.
"We don't leave until it's done," he said. "Basically, anything someone would consider gross or nasty, we get called out to." When she was five, Olynyk's daughter used to describe her daddy's job as cleaning carpets "real good." But you actually can't fully clean a carpet stained with body fluids, he said. It has to be removed or it will inevitably resurface, he says.
On an emotional level, the most difficult jobs for him are those involving kids.
His hardest job was cleaning up after a 15-year-old, who had been bullied at school, came home and shot himself. He even filmed his death.
"That's why bullying has to stop," Olynyk said angrily.
Team members will go out for a beer together after particularly tough jobs and Olynyk also makes counselling available.
The company also sponsors Homes for the Holidays, a fundraiser that supports the Kids Help Phone.
Olynyk said he doesn't want to know too much about what happened to the victims when he comes to a scene. He rarely talks with the families, acting instead through a victims' services go-between or an appointed family spokesperson.
In contrast, Desjardins wants to know, and in cases of suicide, will often seek out family members. It's nice for them to know they're not alone, she said. And that "things work out. There's a light at the end." The cases that hurt her the most are the elderly who die alone in their homes. The team is often called to cases where bodies are found days after death. In one case, the person was found five weeks after dying "It breaks my heart. I don't like that at all," Desjardins said. "How can anyone be that alone?" The team comes in, suits up in full-body cloth coveralls, dons respirators to deactivate the organic acids in the air, and pulls out every single thing the fluids have touched. Sometimes they even take out parts of the subfloor and lumber behind the drywall. When they are done, they seal off the house and fill it with ozone to kill the smell.
Desjardins' sons, 12, 14 and 19, ask a lot of questions about their mother's job.
"They think it's disgusting but they're also fascinated," she said.
"It's riveting for people. I don't know why." estolte@thejournal.canwest.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2008
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Sunshine Cleaning (Released March 13th 2009)
Sunshine Cleaning is a comedy-drama starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt.
Sunshine Cleaning follows an average family that finds the path to its dreams in an unlikely setting. A single mom and her slacker sister find an unexpected way to turn their lives around - once the high school cheerleading captain who dated the quarterback, Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) now finds herself a thirty something single mother working as a maid. Her sister Norah (Emily Blunt) is still living at home with their dad Joe (Alan Arkin), a salesman with a lifelong history of ill-fated get rich quick schemes. Desperate to get her son into a better school, Rose persuades Norah to go into the crime scene clean-up business with her to make some quick cash. In no time, the girls are up to their elbows in murders, suicides and other…specialized situations. As they climb the ranks in a very dirty job, the sisters find a true respect for one another and the closeness they have always craved finally blossoms. By building their own improbable business, Rose and Norah open the door to the joys and challenges of being there for one another—no matter what—while creating a brighter future for the entire Lorkowski family.
Here’s the Sunshine Cleaning Trailer, hit HQ in the menu bottom right for improved quality. The movie is due out March 13, 2009.
Cleaning up after the police
Robyn Young for Metro Canada
20 January 2009 05:25
A crime scene involving the murder of a 13-year-old Mississauga girl at the beginning of December. Cleaning up a crime scene is just one of those jobs: It’s messy but somebody’s got to do it.
Few people realize that after the fingerprints have been lifted, the fabrics DNA-tested and blood samples swabbed, your friendly neighbourhood insurance claims adjuster steps in to make it all go away.
Glen Oxford is the national property manager in claims for the Co-operator’s Group and he’s seen his fair share of crime scenes.
“In one case, it was a whole family that was murdered and you can’t totally remove that from your own thoughts so it can be difficult,” he said.
Most standard property insurance plans cover damage caused by “malicious acts,” said Oxford, but a lot of people don’t make the connection that includes assault, vandalism and even murder.
Insurance companies hire contractors to do the cleanup, but claims adjusters still have to deal with the families and sometimes have to be on scene to check out the damage.
“You obviously try and be compassionate with them (family members) because they’ve just gone through a tragic loss,” Oxford said.
Like many in the property insurance and disaster restoration fields, Oxford once participated in an intensive trauma-scene recovery seminar.
The Center for Disaster Recovery in Barrie is one of the only training facilities in Canada that offers a course on dealing with trauma scenes and blood-borne pathogens.
Oxford said he vividly remembers the two-day workshop.
“Without a doubt it did play into the psyches of some of the individuals involved and they came away from that realizing that they did not want to get involved in this sort of work,” he said.
A section of a warehouse was set up to look like a child’s bedroom, following a murder.
Stephanie Beattie teaches the course and she said it’s intended to guide students through the safe handling and clean up of blood using animal blood and tissue.
Participants suit up in personal protective gear and use the techniques they’ve learned in class to restore the room as effectively and safely as possible.
“The key is safety,” Beattie said.
The course teaches participants how to use different chemicals to remove stains from various materials, when something is salvageable and when it’s not, and how to deal with the psychological effects of a trauma-scene clean up.
Stephan Roy is the manager of disaster restoration for ServiceMaster of Canada, which specializes in disaster-scene restoration. He says there’s some satisfaction in knowing you’ve helped the other victims of a tragedy — the ones left behind, he said.
“It’s not for everybody,” the Toronto-based manager said. “But somebody has to be there (for) them.”
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