Crime & Trauma Scene Cleanup

I recently responded to a comment pertaining to ABRA and whether or not they are a Not-For-Profit organization.  This comment can be found here http://www.biotrauma911.com/blog/index.php/archive/authors-wanted/#comments

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia tells us that, “A not-for-profit corporation is an incorporated organization created by statute, government or judicial authority and registered at the Registry of Commerce, that is not intended to provide a profit to the owners or members. It differs from a for-profit corporation substantially as this is organized to provide profits to its owners or members.”

After further research, I can’t find where ABRA is doing anything wrong. It doesn’t appear that ABRA is incorporated or working as a LLC. Based on the information obtained from their website, ABRA is an association only. As such, they can call themselves a non-profit association and not be in violation of any laws, rules or regulations. If they decide to incorporate as ABRA, the not-for-profit designation may not apply.

If anyone has anything to add, please do so.

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Just want to take a minute to thank two readers for recent comments.

http://www.biotrauma911.com/blog/index.php/archive/authors-wanted/#comments

http://www.biotrauma911.com/blog/index.php/archive/what-price-should-be-paid/#comments

Please take time to read both comment sections and post a reply.  Thanks to all for your continued support of this blog. 

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Hello, I am not currently working in this field, I am a REALTOR,  also taking care of a bedridden MIL. since real estate has taken a dive and MIL on hospice, all income can stop at any time. I have always had an interest in this field and I have been looking into it as a job change.  I can not find anyone in my area that is willing to train or take me out on job site to observe. I have been told by several people that the jobs are sporatic and usually have enough staff on hand to cover it.  Start up costs are high with needed equip. so starting my own company is out of the question right now.

Any  ideas on how to get into the field, and what I can do to get started and be ready with low cost training as far as entry experience needed.   Im in Bakersfield,Ca  thanks Deb

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I’ve been a police officer for the past seven years.  Too many times, I’ve had the unfortunate experience of being dispatched to the scene of a violent crime or serious accident.  Within minutes, several police officers, firefighters and EMT’s arrive to assist, all rushing about, dilegently performing their duties with the syncronization of a rolex watch.  Somewhere though, in the back of an ambulance or hiding in the background waiting for help, is the victim.  The victim, not necessarily injured, is the homeowner or lessee, responsible for the condition of her home or apartment.  She’s approached several times by first responders, prodding her for information, asking questions either she can’t think about or doesn’t have the answers to.  All the while, she’s looking at the remains of a loved one, remains still present after the body is removed.  Blood, bone matter and other bodily fluids strewn about the floors and walls.  In a state of shock, she utters repeatedly, “what am I to do”, “WHAT AM I TO DO”!  No answer.  With further clarity she asks several uniformed individuals nearby, “who will help me clean this up”?  Still, no answer.  Tears stream down her face as she slowly begins to realize that she will be left alone.  The frenzy will end; the officers, firefighters and EMT’s will leave and she will be left to clean the aftermath of a horrible tragedy.

This shouldn’t be the end of the story.  Any public servant dispatched to the scene of a crime or trauma scene should feel obligated to offer any and all assistance necessary to the victims.  This includes taking additional steps to ensure the victim knows that crime and trauma scene cleanup companies are available to help.  Too many victims are all too often left alone without receiving this information.  It’s not necessary for first responders to “sell” a particular company, but to point the victim in the right direction should be a legitimate and justified level of action.        

Please, I encourage any first responder reading this blog to think about the victims and their cries for help.  These cries may not be understood and they may be faint, but they are there.   Take a few minutes to talk with the victim after everyone else has left.  Find out what you can do to help and what information the victim may need that will help them to begin the healing process.   

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I am in need of authors for this blog.  I have several people in mind who will be appointed in the next few days.  If you are interested in becoming an author, please take a few minutes and register.  I review all requests and submissions on a daily basis.  I will typically upgrade your status to contributor immediately, then to author within a week or two. 

Thank you for your interest in this blog.

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How many times have we been tasked with removing blood from concrete?  Just like oil and water, the two will never be happy with each other.  We steam and wipe, we lay down absorbant material, we steam and wipe . . . over and over again.  Finally, we lay a barrier and call it a day.  But wait, days later, as the humidity fluctuates, the blood has worked its way up through the porous concrete, through our finely laid barrier, ever so quietly painting the surface pink.  The blood of a brother, sister, mother, father or other loved one has risen as a gruesome reminder of tragedy not soon forgotten. 

As technicians in the Crime & Trauma Scene Cleanup Industry, we often find ourselves wearing several different hats.  Equally important to our job of removing blood & bodily fluids, is the job of comforting the family and friends of deceased loved ones.  Through our words and gestures, a degree of comfort can be conveyed.  Yet I have to believe much of what we do on scene is in vain when the job is left incomplete.  Although I’ve used the removal of blood from concrete as an example, there may be many other aspects of our job that we fail to accomplish or to finish properly. 

Please feel free to comment on this post.  I’m curious as to the mistakes others have made and what we can do as professionals to ensure the same mistakes are not repeated. 

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I’ve long suspected that many crime & trauma scene cleanup companies are overcharging clients.  This feeling was somewhat substantiated the other day when I received an email from a well known company in this industry.  The email was a solicatation for referral business.  Attached to the email was a well drafted contract that guarateed me (or whomever referred business) a $750 referral fee. 

Bio-Trauma 911, Inc. routinely offers up to $200 as a referral fee.  The last two such checks cut were for $100.  This isn’t because the company is cheap, it’s because we don’t charge the client enough to justify any more than $100 as a referral fee.  I have to believe that most companies in this industry would be more than satisfied with a profit of $750 for a job.   The majority of the jobs our technicians work take approximately 6 hours from start to finish.  Since we send two techs, we would calculate the total cost of the job based on 12 hours.  If we were to see a profit of $750 for a 12 hour job, which rarely if ever we see, the hourly profit would be $62.50.  So, how does a company afford to pay out $750 for a referral fee?  I have to assume they’re charging the client far too much for their services.  Maybe insurance is paying for it - is it ok now to overcharge?

Although I can’t control what other companies charge, I do make it a point to let potential clients know about the wide range of prices charged throughout the industry. 

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Everyone thinks that you have to have a sick personality to do this work!  That is SO NOT TRUE!  There are so many jobs in this wide world that need doing, that there better be people that not only can do them, but actually are GOOD at doing them!

Recently, I was undergoing a minor surgical procedure. (BTW, in case you haven’t had any minor surgical procedures in awhile, they make you walk into the operating room and hop up onto the table!  Yeah!  Walk to your own surgery!)  Anyway, while all the personnel in the operating room were reading everything they were talking to me, asking me questions… in an effort to make me relax?  NO Way!  Just put me out already!  Anyway… they were asking me what I did for a living, and I told them about Bio-Trauma and that we clean crime and trauma scenes.  Do you know what they said?  “OOOOOOO, yuck!”  Yeah, the operating team thought that was yuck!  OMG can you believe it?  The people that work with the insides of human beings daily, thought that crime and trauma scene clean up was oooooo yuck!  LOL  I didn’t get to laugh as they finally put me to sleep.  LAUGHING NOW!

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My name is Brandon Stone, President of Bio-Trauma 911, Inc.  Although I have spent a considerable amount of time during the past two days setting up this blog, there is still a lot more work to be done.  Please be patient, as this forum will take on a life of its own in the upcoming weeks.  Thank you for visiting and I hope you come back soon.

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