Yonkers has a violent crime rate of about 2.53 incidents per 1,000 residents. Although this is lower than the state of New York’s 3.13 incidents, it is still significant. This figure translates into an average of 677 violent crimes per year. With such a number, the possibility of being involved in one of such incidents is high.
If your home or office space has become a crime scene, apart from calling the police, you need the services of a cleanup company. But given the number of Crime Scene Cleanup Companies in Yonkers, how do you choose the right one? This is what this article is all about; to guide you on how to make the right choice.
Search for an Empathetic, Quick, Effective company
You obviously want the cleanup to be as effective as it can be so you can go back to running your house or company immediately. Furthermore, the health and safety of all everyone depend on efficient cleaning of any blood, bodily fluid, and other biohazard. Remember also the value of selecting a sympathetic company.
Dealing with the aftermath of a crime can be difficult. This is particularly so if it involved a relative, friend, relative, or coworker. Hence, choosing a cleanup company with professionals that provide empathetic service will assist to relieve the emotional situation.
Confirm that the Firm Specializes in Cleaning Crime Scenes
Though they provide might as a minor service, not all businesses specialize in this kind of cleaning. Verify that the company you select specializes in crime scene cleaning as one of its main services. This is necessary to ensure your home is completely cleaned and free of biohazards that can endanger your health.
Steer clear of companies that mostly provide cleanup following water, fire, or storm-created damage. Such companies might have crime scene cleanup on their service list. However, they might lack the knowledge necessary to complete the work correctly.
Check if the Business is Correctly Licensed
Licensing authorities of some states mandate that businesses transporting, storing, and disposal of biohazardous products have a license. You can visit https://www.strikingly.com/ to learn why a business license is important. New York is one of such states. Biohazards are any blood or bodily fluids and body tissues left behind on a premise following a crime.
Thus, find out whether the cleaning company you are looking at is correctly licensed. Companies with less than ten workers are exempt from OSHA compliance requirements. Think about whether you would want a business exempt from these rules. Following EPA and OSHA rules carefully for the safe handling and disposal of biohazards is very important.
Certifications are important since bloodborne and airborne biohazards seriously endanger anybody who get in contact with them. From HIV to Hepatitis B and C, MRSA, infectious diseases find expression in blood, physiological fluids, and human tissues. Cleaning up such biohazards calls for technicians with the knowledge, tools, equipment, and training needed to complete the job correctly. Besides, before paying for cleanup, your insurance company might demand the licenses of the hired professionals.
Referrals and Experience are Absolutely Vital
Your chosen company should have:
- Professional trauma cleanup training
- Meeting logs of safety briefings
- Employee handbooks
- Worker handbooks
- Safe practices code
- Enough relevant experience
- Customer recommendation.
You should ask the company questions like:
- You have been in business for how long?
- You have cleaned up how many crime scenes?
- How often have you cleaned up a death scene? (This is if your case involves such.)
One must choose cleaners with experience in crime scenes very carefully. This knowledge enables professional cleaners to securely bring your place back to its original state. This, in turn, protects your home’s value.
Furthermore, experienced cleaners are experts at removing the biological elements causing psychological stress. They can effectively save you both time and money. Therefore, you should ensure you get experienced professionals.
Although these cleaners get certifications from different bodies, there is no formal accreditation for this industry. This is why customer recommendation is so important. You can read this article to learn more about the importance of customer recommendation. You should find out the satisfaction level of previous customers to help you determine if a firm is worth it.
Ask About Training Programs for Staff
How well a site is cleaned and restore to a safe state depend critically on the training level of front-line technicians. Technicians ought to have:
- Comprehensive training in death cleanup and crime scene.
- Complete understanding of how to safely cleaning and dispose of biohazardous items.
- Knowing which regions of the scene are more likely to have biohazards that are not easily observable. This ensures they can handle such hidden biohazards.
- The expertise to select the best disinfectants and cleaners for a given cleanup situation.
- Experience in clearing up items left behind by law enforcement that could increase health hazards. This includes tear gas, fingerprint powder, pepper spray, etc.
- The capacity to run specific machinery needed to completely eliminate all blood/bodily fluid traces.
Conclusion
Choosing the right crime cleanup crew is important after a crime, especially a violent one has been committed. This process while it might seem straightforward might be confusing given the number of these services operating in Yonkers. Thankfully, the guide in this article will aid you in making the right choice.