Cambridge sanitation business specializes in crime scene clean-up

By RICHARD McNEY Editor | 0 comments

CAMBRIDGE Vance Morris worked for 25 years in the restaurant and hotel industry, but after getting laid off in May 2007, the second time in five years, he decided to stop working for others and start his own business. Having always worked in the design, sanitation and process improvement of all the food service companies he had ever worked for, he knew there was a need for a business that specialized in commercial restaurant and kitchen sanitation.

"I knew that there were very few specialized cleaning companies," he said. "I used my relationships in the food and restaurant industry to get into the business."

Morris started Chesapeake Service Solutions in summer 2007 and gained several contracts performing commercial restaurant and kitchen sanitation in the Washington, D.C., area. That summer he also purchased a Chem-Dry carpet and upholstery cleaning franchise on the Eastern Shore. Chem-Dry TDC, as the franchise is now known, serves Talbot, Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset and Caroline counties.

Morris was continually looking for needs he could fill with his businesses. An opportunity arose when he received a phone call from an insurance agent acquaintance. The insurance agent had a property manager client who had a tenant who was stabbed and the property needed to be cleaned. Morris had read an article about crime scene clean-up businesses several years ago and thought it would not be too different than the sanitary work he was doing in kitchens and restaurants. He decided to take the job.

When he arrived at the property the landlord was standing on the street with the key. Morris put on a respirator, entered the apartment and was hit with one of the worst odors he has ever come across. The man, who survived the stabbing, was thawing his Thanksgiving turkey in the kitchen sink when the crime took place. The turkey was still in the sink and was now rotting.

After his first experience with crime scene clean-up, Morris decided Chesapeake Service Solutions would specialize in biohazard removal and clean-up of trauma and crime scenes, and unsanitary dwellings such as the homes of hoarders. The new work required much of the same sanitizing equipment and cleaning products the business was already using.

"Coming into this was almost a natural progression," Morris said. "We saw a need. There are a lot of cleaning and janitorial companies out there, but no one was dedicated to this."

Morris acknowledges that not everyone can handle cleaning up crime scenes or the psychological pressures associated. He has four part-time employees who have no problem handling the clean-up. At the end of each job Morris holds a 15 to 30 minute discussion with his employees in case there is anything they want to talk about.

"For most of the guys it is just another mess to clean up," he said. "What outweighs it for me is I know the service I am providing to a family far outweighs any queasiness I might have."

In the past, clean up of such events has often been handled by family members or church members, he said. Chesapeake Service Solutions' main concern is that family members are not victimized twice by having to clean up after a violent crime or the death of a loved one, he said.

"We guarantee that our clients will never know anything occurred there," he said. "We investigate and examine the entire scene."

Clean-up is conducted in a discreet fashion. Employees are trained to be respectful on the job and they use an unmarked rental van to avoid further attention. The business also uses "green" cleaning products that are not harmful to the environment.

All Chesapeake Service Solutions employees are certified by professional and industry organizations and the business adheres to all OSHA and EPA regulations concerning the containment and removal of biohazards. Many of the regulations and precautions are focused on employee safety due to the dangers of dealing with bodily fluids, Morris said.

The business covers roughly a 100-mile radius around Cambridge and has about three jobs a month on average. All of the business's work comes through referrals or word-of-mouth since its services are not advertised, Morris said. The business does send out mailings to funeral home directors, social service agencies, law enforcement, volunteer fire companies and emergency operations centers to let them know the services are available.

Morris said that he has found running his own business to be challenging, but extremely satisfying.

"I will never work for somebody again," he said.

For information on Chesapeake Service Solutions, visit www.chesapeakeservicesolutions.com or call 410-924-4684.

An insight into crime scenes clean up services

Crime scene cleanup companies also clean unattended deaths, damaged environments due to tear gas, and other crime and distress scenes. The larger crime scenes that involve mass murder scenes, terrorist attacks and anthrax and other biochemical damage is also taken care by these companies. Crime Scene Cleanup services may also include bird and rodent infested areas. The cleaners in this case require special experience and equipment than a typical cleaning company’s experience and equipment.

Typically, crime scene cleanups start taking place only after the coroner’s office and other government bodies releases the “scene” back to the owner or some other responsible person concerned with it. The cleaning task can not begin till the police investigation is completely finished on the contaminated scene.

In most cases crime scene cleanup is a small business activity. Mostly, small cleaning services like carpet cleaning or water damage companies add services for Crime Scene Cleanup for diversifying their activities. The prominent and recognized organizations in this field of cleaning consist of the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and the American Bio-recovery Association (ABRA).

Earlier crime scene cleanup was a loathsome job but today it has become a lucrative business. Crime scene cleanup companies can charge anywhere between $100 to $600 per hour depending on the “level of trauma” and the quantity of hazardous material that the cleaners have to deal with and dispose of.

While a crime clean up service is ultimately a business like any other, advertising and marketing your services can be tricky. In a job that involves tragic death; most companies avoid mainstream methods of advertisement. Some choose the standard phone-book route while many others advertise on the side of their vans. Most of these companies largely depend on discreet options like passing out their business cards at service-industry gatherings, police stations and funeral homes.

An important requirement for success in this industry involves being considerate towards the sensitive nature of the work. There are certain crime scene clean-up companies that provide a grief counselor to the families at no cost while others offer discount to needy people. There are many countries where this type of service is funded by government or by religious organizations.

While some people call this emerging field a social trend of commercializing death, others call it plain capitalism. But for many others it still remains an essential service, a godsend. The fact is that whether you like it or loathe it but if you ever end up with blood and brains splashed all over your bedroom walls, you will definitely be relieved that there is someone you can call to clean it up.