Nothing too messy for crime scene cleaners

MINOOKA, Ill. (AP) — It's meth lab season.

So they're hustling at Chicago Crime Scene Cleanup.

Although the 3-year-old company is licensed to clear away the aftermath of all kinds of things — bloody crimes and animal infestations among them — it specializes in crystal meth labs.

But if a family member commits suicide, they'll scrub everything and bill the homeowner's insurance policy. If someone is a hoarder, meaning they stash piles of anything and everything inside a home, they'll handle that, too. They can remove tear gas and fingerprint dust.

Worried about the swine flu? They can disinfect specifically for H1N1.

Based in Minooka, the business has an exclusive contract with the Drug Enforcement Administration to do meth lab-related work in Minnesota and Wisconsin. After the feds find a homemade laboratory in either state, agents call Mike Frakes and Dan Reynolds, local firefighters and Minooka residents, and ask them to scour and decontaminate.

"There seems to be two seasons for the DEA," Frakes explained. "Meth season and everything else season."

In the summertime, drug dealers who make the amphetamine often move their operations to a secluded spot somewhere outside, so a bust is less likely. In the colder months, they have to move inside, to stay warm. But cooking up a batch of meth creates a strong chemical smell, a kind of trail leads authorities to the illegal labs. So the DEA seems to find more of them in winter, Frakes said. Right now, the company gets two or three jobs a week from the DEA.

"In the summer, the marijuana growing outside is in full swing, and they concentrate on that full time," Reynolds added. At this time of year, about 60 percent of their business involves dealing with meth labs, and much of the rest is related to suicides or unattended natural deaths. That ratio flip-flops in the warmer months, Reynolds said.

About five years ago, Frakes and Reynolds were working together at a Chicago company selling trucks and heavy equipment. Reynolds was looking for a new career, so he applied for a job at a crime cleaning company but wasn't hired. While having a few beers on a Super Bowl Sunday, they decided to open their own business, and vowed to do it better than any competitor. With the approval of their wives, they headed to Dallas for training.

"There were different tricks to the trade we were taught," Frakes said. "Different levels of protective equipment to use, what types of gloves we should buy."

During one lesson, they were taken to a doublewide house trailer parked in the woods on a secluded piece of property.

"About a month prior, they had gone out and slopped pig's blood all over the trailer and all over the mattresses inside," Frakes said. "It was about 95 degrees when we went out there, and the smell we were greeted with was unlike anything I had ever experienced."

At that point, Frakes had a problem tolerating nasty smells. He's since learned to tolerate them.

They learned how to find blood that can be hidden in corners or soaked into floor joists, and how to properly dispose of a contaminated mattress.

"In a couple of hours the trailer was like new and the odor was gone," Frakes said.

And they also were schooled in the proper way to run such an unusual business.

"We learned how to maintain a business that is compliant with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's rules. Other companies don't have to have a hazardous materials communications program," Frakes said, adding that Chicago Crime Scene Cleanup is required by law to maintain certain records for 30 years. If an employee becomes ill in 2020, the company must provide information about the types of chemicals that person used on the job and during what type of situation, for example.

But there's more to the business than a specialized knowledge of solvents and record keeping. They also had to develop a bedside manner.

"We realized this industry is about half dealing with the crime scene, and half helping the families, helping them get through a tragic time," Frakes said. During the average work day, they confront calamity at a very personal level. "That is the most gratifying part of what we do, helping them so they don't have to deal with a mess left behind," Frakes said.

During one job, a man died in a bedroom but the mattress was untouched. Disposing of a king size set costs about $1,000, Reynolds said. But in this case, a garbage man could have hauled it away safely. At the family's request, Reynolds moved the mattress to a garage.

But he later realized visiting mourners would see it. Because the family was short of cash, he decided to take it away himself and have Chicago Crime Scene Cleanup foot the bill. Although that decision cost the company money, it was the right thing to do, Reynolds said.

"When the wife found out I had made that decision, she just broke down and gave me a big hug ... She said 'thank you, thank you,'" Reynolds remembered. "She never let on that it was bothering her until I packed it up to go. That is one that will always stick with me."

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.