Bio-One of Augusta decontamination and biohazard cleaning services

When Should You Call A Crime Scene Cleaner?

crime scene cleaner

A professional crime scene cleaner can provide cleanup services for many different situations, and not just crime scene cleaning. At Bio-One®, we can provide many types of biohazard cleanup, and there are many instances when it’s smart to hire professional cleanup companies rather than trying to handle these tasks on your own, including the following.

1. Crime Scenes

With some crime scenes, especially when a violent crime has occurred, the Bio-One® team will arrive to clean up blood or other bodily fluids as soon as law enforcement has cleared the area. However, that’s not always the only thing left behind at a crime scene. For instance, if the police had to use tear gas at some point, this should be cleaned up by professionals.

Tear gas cannot simply be removed with water or your typical cleaning products. We use special cleaners to remove the tear gas residue. Our team also wears protective clothing to ensure that we don’t physically come into contact with the tear gas, as this can cause heart damage or liver damage. No one should try to clean up tear gas residue on their own, you should always contact a professional cleanup crew. 

2. Unattended Deaths & Suicides

Finding a deceased loved one is one of the most traumatic moments imaginable, and even if you encounter a tenant or employee that has passed away, this is still a hugely traumatic situation. Losing a loved one to suicide can be even more traumatic, and no family member or friend should ever be faced with the task of suicide cleanup or unattended death cleanup.

While death scene cleanup can take a huge emotional toll on a person, the unfortunate reality is that death is often messy any bodily fluids left behind can be toxic. Blood and other bodily fluids can contain viruses such as HIV or hepatitis, and only professional hazmat cleaning services should be used for tasks like these.

Professional biohazard remediation is much more complicated than most people understand. Biohazard cleanup often includes removing carpeting and flooring or drywall, as well as furniture and personal items that have become contaminated with bodily fluids or other biohazards, such as urine or feces.

3. Hoarder Cleanup Services

If you have a loved one or tenant suffering from a hoarding disorder and their home has reached the point where it is no longer safe to inhabit, this is a good time to contact a company that specializes in hoarding cleaning services, and many crime scene cleaners (including Bio-One®) offers this service.

This is not a task that family members or a landlord should try to handle on their own. Aside from the heavy emotional toll this can take, there could be a wide range of biohazards on-site including dead animals, animal waste, mold and other potential toxins. We can provide you with comprehensive hoarding cleanup services, and our team fully understands that this is a sensitive and emotional time and will work with discretion and compassion.

4. Homeless Encampment Cleanup

Homeless encampments can pose a health and safety hazard to the entire community, and, of course, that includes the people that live in these encampments. During cleanup, we typically find human and animal feces, rotting food, contaminated needles and other dangerous items and will provide complete biohazard removal and biohazard remediation.

This is a difficult situation to navigate, but we can handle cleanup with caring and compassion. We can ensure the cleanup is thorough, while still respecting the dignity of the people who lived in the encampment. We will treat these unsheltered individuals (and their belongings) with care.

5. Rodent Dropping Cleanup & Rodent Cleanup

Rodent infestations can be horrifying to deal with, and homeowners or property owners really should not handle these tasks on their own. Rodent droppings and dead rodents can carry diseases such as hantavirus, hemorrhagic fever and even plague.

At Bio-One®, we can provide you with dead animal removal and rodent and rat poop clean-up service. We also can provide you with professional odor removal if these animals have died in your walls or even in your car. Rats and mice often build nests in car engines, and sometimes even gnaw their way into the cabin of your car, but we can provide you with complete biohazard remediation and odor removal.

Interested In A Career As A Crime Scene Cleaner?

It surprises many to people to learn how much we love our jobs. Helping people during the worst moments of their life can be rewarding and there’s a huge satisfaction that comes with knowing you’ve truly helped someone navigate those first hours after tragedy strikes. If you truly want a career where you can help others and you have a compassionate heart, working for a company such as Bio-One® might be something to consider.

Of course, there are other aspects to consider if you are thinking about a career in this field. We are on call 24/7 so that we can provide services to people whenever they need them, and that means 365 days a year. You will need to be willing to work in the middle of the night and possibly on holidays.

Crime scene cleanup training is intense, and each member of our team has undergone extensive training to ensure that they know how to clean up any type of biohazard safely and thoroughly.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in this field, a good crime scene cleaner has a high level of attention to detail, and you need to be strong with plenty of stamina. Wearing full biohazard suits with respirators, gloves and other gear can be physically challenging but it’s essential to keep our entire team safe.

Contact Us 24/7 For Crime Scene Cleanup

If you need a crime scene cleaner, death cleanup or any type of biohazard cleanup service, we are always available to help. Give us a call at (706) 305-5029 at any time night or day. We serve the entire Augusta metro area and all surrounding areas.


Bio-One What to Ask Before Hiring a Crime Scene Cleaner

The roots of crime- and trauma-scene cleaning companies can be traced to the 1990s, and at that time only a dozen or so companies existed. The industry was widely unregulated and awareness of contamination risks were relatively non-existant.

"I was young and dumb and saw something you only see in movies, so I quickly shut the door, took a deep breath, sat on the couch with the widow and told everyone else to get her out of here and take her to lunch, and we’ll clean this up for her," said Nick-Anthony Zamucen, Founder of Bio-One Inc. "We were just trying to help a lady in her greatest time of need, and that’s for me how I got into the crime scene and cleaning business."  Read Nick's story in Franchise Times

Today, there are hundreds of companies that advertise crime and trauma scene cleaning, and a simple Google search may prove overwhelming when you're experiencing one of the most traumatic moments in your life. To help, we've listed pre-qualifying questions to ask before choosing a crime and trauma scene company. 

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Crime and Trauma Scene Cleaner

There are a number of key questions to ask crime and trauma scene cleaning technicians or business owners to properly root out which one is best for your goals and circumstances. 

  • Are you local? When there's a blood spill, response time is key to prevent biohazards from spreading and to ensure quick remediation. Several businesses may pay for online advertising in your city, but their technicians could be 3 or more hours away. Furthermore, avoid calling toll free numbers. "These numbers often lead to call centers. We're local. They're not," said Ginger Akemon, owner of Bio-One in Jacksonville, FL
  • Is your business certified and insured? Professional crime and trauma scene cleaning companies should have bloodborne pathogen certifications, they should follow OSHA personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines and remediation processes, and they should have insurance for their business. 
  • What is your process for disposing biohazardous waste? Once the remediation is complete, the accumulated waste will need to be disposed in accordance to local state guidelines. Make sure the business owner or technician is aware of these guidelines and has an appropriate plan for disposal.  
  • What happens to valuable or personal items that are impacted? At Bio-One, we are trained to be mindful of valuable and perceived valuable items, such as pictures, wallets, or a baseball card collection. Professional crime and trauma scene cleaners should ask if there are valuable items to keep an eye out for, and they will keep the family informed if these items are found. 
  • How will you charge for your services? In most cases, home insurance will cover the cost of biohazard remediation - less your deductible. Ask if they can open a claim on your behalf, taking this burden off your shoulders. If you don't have homeowners insurance, it's OK to ask for a free estimate so you can compare costs between other local companies. 
  • Will you be discrete during and after the job? Michele Amoranto, Bio-One owner in Oceanside, CA, always assures her clients that discretion is top of mind while her team is onsite. Bio-One vehicles are unmarked and technicians will designate work areas to don and doff PPE out of view from neighbors. 
  • Do you have a list of resources that can help after the cleanup? You may need flooring replaced or fresh drywall installed, which will also be covered under your home insurance claim, and a recommendation could help speed up the reconstruction process. Additionally, many crime and trauma scene cleaners have connections with local counselors and victim's advocates. In west Texas, Bio-One owner, Garrett Spooner, always offers a list of free mental health resources and states that, "Being volunteers of our local Crisis Intervention Unit, we consider our job incomplete without making sure our clients' mental health, grief process, and other issues our clients may have, are addressed."

Last but certainly most important, make sure the business you speak with shows care and compassion for your situation. They should want to do everything possible to support you and your loved ones.

If you are searching for a crime and trauma scene cleaner, Bio-One is here for you. All of our offices adhere to our business motto Help First, Business Second and are available 24/7. Click here to search for a Bio-One team near you.


Bio-One Weekly Wrap-Up Week 7 Thin Gold Line Help First Business Second

Bio-One teams across the U.S. answer calls to help their communities and remediate a variety of scenes. In our new blog series, we'd like to bring you into the Bio-One world by sharing stories of the unique and important work we do for local communities.

Here is Week 7 of our Bio-One Weekly Wrap-Up. 

Thank You to the Thin Gold Line

The second week of April is a time to celebrate and thank telecommunications professionals who dedicate their lives to serving the public. Often called the thin gold line, 911 dispatchers are true heroes behind the scenes

Coast to coast, Bio-One teams found fun and unique ways to recognize the Thin Gold Line. 

Bio-One Helps Homeless Man with Vehicle Clean Up

This week, News San Diego reported "Homeless man's story inspires San Diego mom to enlist community's help", featuring Rene Flohr and Nicki Chipp-Flohr, owners of Bio-One. The Bio-One duo spotted a NextDoor post asking for anyone who could help 79 year-old, Les, who had been living out of his vehicle and was recently diagnosed with skin cancer. His vehicle was floor to ceiling full of items, and Bio-One was ready to help clean and disinfect the vehicle so it could be sold or donated. 

In a message to Bio-One owners, Nicki said, "I am very proud of what we are doing to help someone. I thought you’d all appreciate it, since we live the Bio-One motto of #helpfirstbusinesssecond." We couldn't agree more! 

Read the entire story on News San Diego. 

A "Week in the Life" at Bio-One

The Bio-One team in Tuscon, AZ had a busy week with work ranging from COVID-19 disinfections, mold remediations, bird dropping clean up, medical waste disposal, suicide remediation, and more. 

If you've ever wondered what it takes to be a crime and trauma scene cleaner, we recommend read through the Tuscon team's Weekly Wrap-Up! 

Crime and Trauma Scene Cleaners at Bio-One

Bio-One Weekly Wrap-Up Week 6 Crime and Trauma Scene Cleaning COVID-19 Disinfection

Bio-One teams across the U.S. answer calls to help their communities and remediate a variety of scenes. In our new blog series, we'd like to bring you into the Bio-One world by sharing stories of the unique and important work we do for local communities.

Here is Week 6 of our Bio-One Weekly Wrap-Up. 

Cherokee County Biohazard Remediation 

Lives in the Atlanta area were forever altered on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 after a shooting spree at three metro Atlanta spas left eight people, including six Asian women, dead within the span of 45 minutes. 

Our hearts and sympathies are with everyone impacted by this tragedy.  

Two weeks after the tragic events in Atlanta took place, Bio-One answered the call to remediate the spa in Cherokee County. Led by Michele O'Brien and Rebecca Phillips, the Bio-One team provided a quick response and thorough decontamination. Read more in our recent blog post. 

Bio-One Cherokee County Massage Parlor Biohazard Remediation

Tragedy in Rock Hill, South Carolina

As details from the tragedy in Rock Hill, South Carolina unfold, one Bio-One team paid special tribute to the victims, first responders and other local law enforcement officials. Bio-One owners, John and Jen Symons, live in Rock Hill and experienced the police response first-hand. "It's a tight-knit community. We just can't believe it," said Jen Symons. 

Their team is currently in communication with local law enforcement, and activity supporting neighbors through this difficult time. 

COVID-19 Disinfection at Dojo

This week, we're spotlighting the Atlantic City team where they are regularly disinfecting Ganguly's Mixed Martial Arts. According to Bio-One owner, Victor Russomanno, "We are contracted with a local martial arts studio to disinfect them weekly. In addition to their in-house protocol, we use an electrostatic sprayer to ensure maximum coverage and protection, to ensure those who are training are staying safe through our efforts."

Across the United States, Bio-One teams actively disinfect local businesses, government buildings, and residents in the fight against coronavirus. Learn more about our COVID-19 disinfection process.