A dentist from Montgomery County, accused of dumping medical waste in the Jersey shore, has lost his bid to avoid trial. Today a judge rejected Thomas McFarland Junior's request to be accepted into a pretrial intervention program. That would have spared him jail time.
McFarland's attorney says his client was depressed and suffering from mental illness because his wife had cancer. But prosecutors say the need to assure the public that New Jersey beaches are safe outweighs McFarland's personal matters.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Traumatic Grief
By Nancy Crump
Since the late 1980’s, we have seen an increase in interest and research on the effects of trauma on the grief process. We have learned that the grief process from the sudden, unexpected, and often violent deaths of suicide, homicide, auto accidents, natural disasters, and other types of deaths, is very different from the grief process of those who have died from natural causes, old age, or long-termed illness. Many, if not all, of the deaths faced by Bio Technicians fall into the category of traumatic. Those family members who hire you have usually been touched by the trauma of the death. Understanding the traumatic grief process and its differences from other types of grief may be of some help to you as you deal with these family members.
There are several key elements that make the responses by family members to a traumatic death difficult. First is the suddenness of the death. Family members usually did not have time to prepare themselves for the death and to make the psychological adjustments to cope with the news of the death. Also, the suddenness of the death does not give the family an opportunity to say goodbye to the victim before their death. Second, the violence of the death may leave the family with horrific memories and nightmares that often interfere with the grief process. Third, many of these types of deaths require police intervention and the family is often not given the support, information, and compassion they need at the time. Another element can be the presence of the media at the time of the death, as well as weeks and months later if legal issues follow the death. Most traumatic deaths involve young people who’s parents, grandparents, and siblings may still live. Certainly, the death of a child or young person is very difficult to cope with.
Reactions to a traumatic death can be very different, more intense, and longer lasting than other types of death. The emotions following a traumatic death are often conflicting and intense. There is a tendency to relive the death event over and over in an attempt to make it real. Intrusive thoughts and nightmares are very common. Intense physical responses such as inability to eat or sleep, stomach aches and headaches, muscle tension, high blood pressure and a decrease in the autoimmune system are also common. Many times, the survivors must deal with intense feelings of guilt or remorse, feeling that they were somehow responsible or could have prevented the death “if only”. Family members have the need to tell the story of the death over and over again in an attempt to gain a sense of the reality of the death. They often have an overwhelming need to learn all they can about the circumstances of the death - how the person died, whether they were in pain, did they know they were dying, what were their last words, who saw what happened, and in cases of homicide, who committed the murder. All of these reactions are ways the survivors use to grasp the reality of the death and to begin the grief process.
As Bio Technicians, you are often called by family members or meet them upon arrival to the scene. Understanding some of the dynamics of trauma on the grief process may help as you help the family. Understanding the “normalcy” of the reactions you may see can help you feel more competent and assured to speak with family members without wondering whether or not you are saying the “right” thing. Some suggestions are listed below, but the most important thing is to convey sincerity and compassion to the family. They are very vulnerable and sensitive to words, expressions, and body language. Just make sure that what you say and do is congruent with how you feel or you will come across as insincere and uncaring.
Soon after a traumatic death, most survivors simply need to tell the story to anyone who will listen. It is important for their recovery to be able to do this. If you have time to listen, do so. They are not necessarily looking for any input from you; they just need someone to listen.
Remember that there are two basic rules for grieving people – you don’t hurt yourself or someone else. If, during the conversation, you hear comments that indicate the person is thinking of either, you might suggest they go talk to someone else before making a decision to do something like this. Create a list of counselors, therapists, or mental health centers to hand out at times like these. Take comments about thoughts of suicide seriously and offer to call a friend or family member to be with the person and get them help. Suicide rates often increase after a sudden, traumatic death of a loved one. These are very difficult situations for you as a caregiver, but you need to set limits as to what you can and cannot do. Listening and having resources available are all you need. The survivor needs to take some responsibility for them, and others who are better trained to handle these situations need to be contacted.
Although many reactions may look and feel “crazy”, most are normal reactions to the situation. Again, as long as they don’t hurt themselves or someone else, they are probably reacting normally to an abnormal situation. Helping normalize these reactions is very helpful to the survivor. Encouraging the survivor to talk and to express what they are experiencing is also helpful. Making a simple statement such as, “I think I’d feel the same way if this happened to me”, helps the survivor feel less out of control.
There are many support groups available to survivors that would make a good resource for them. Creating a list of those in your community or in nearby communities is a great gift for survivors. They may not want to attend a support group, but usually someone from the group is always willing to talk to them by telephone or offer assistance.
In the work you do, you may find yourself in situations of dealing with survivors who have needs you do not feel comfortable or competent in dealing with. That’s okay as it is not your responsibility to be all things to all people. However, there are these simple steps you can take to help your families in a meaningful way. You can listen. You can refer. You can offer resources. Having some general knowledge of the traumatic grief process may make you feel more competent in dealing with your families and knowing that you are being supportive and helpful in a meaningful way.
Below are some national organizations that offer support groups in almost every locality. They are specific to either the type of death or the relationship to the person who died and are more appropriate to traumatic deaths. They all have web sites or central telephone numbers that can be contacted for local information.
The Compassionate Friends – for parents’ whose child has died of any cause.
MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Drivers offer support for parents who a drunk driver killed child
Widowed Persons Service – sponsored by AARP for spousal death
SOS – Survivors of Suicide support groups
POMC – Parents of Murdered Children and other victims of homicide.
These and many other groups may be listed at your county’s Victim Assistance Office usually located in the office of the District Attorney. Also, check with your local hospices or hospitals. They offer support groups that are open to the public. Some local churches may also host support groups. As you create your list, don’t try to keep up with the dates and times of group meetings as they change frequently. All you need is the name of the group, a telephone number, and possibly a contact person. Leave it to the survivors to take the responsibility to make the calls on their own behalf.
Since the late 1980’s, we have seen an increase in interest and research on the effects of trauma on the grief process. We have learned that the grief process from the sudden, unexpected, and often violent deaths of suicide, homicide, auto accidents, natural disasters, and other types of deaths, is very different from the grief process of those who have died from natural causes, old age, or long-termed illness. Many, if not all, of the deaths faced by Bio Technicians fall into the category of traumatic. Those family members who hire you have usually been touched by the trauma of the death. Understanding the traumatic grief process and its differences from other types of grief may be of some help to you as you deal with these family members.
There are several key elements that make the responses by family members to a traumatic death difficult. First is the suddenness of the death. Family members usually did not have time to prepare themselves for the death and to make the psychological adjustments to cope with the news of the death. Also, the suddenness of the death does not give the family an opportunity to say goodbye to the victim before their death. Second, the violence of the death may leave the family with horrific memories and nightmares that often interfere with the grief process. Third, many of these types of deaths require police intervention and the family is often not given the support, information, and compassion they need at the time. Another element can be the presence of the media at the time of the death, as well as weeks and months later if legal issues follow the death. Most traumatic deaths involve young people who’s parents, grandparents, and siblings may still live. Certainly, the death of a child or young person is very difficult to cope with.
Reactions to a traumatic death can be very different, more intense, and longer lasting than other types of death. The emotions following a traumatic death are often conflicting and intense. There is a tendency to relive the death event over and over in an attempt to make it real. Intrusive thoughts and nightmares are very common. Intense physical responses such as inability to eat or sleep, stomach aches and headaches, muscle tension, high blood pressure and a decrease in the autoimmune system are also common. Many times, the survivors must deal with intense feelings of guilt or remorse, feeling that they were somehow responsible or could have prevented the death “if only”. Family members have the need to tell the story of the death over and over again in an attempt to gain a sense of the reality of the death. They often have an overwhelming need to learn all they can about the circumstances of the death - how the person died, whether they were in pain, did they know they were dying, what were their last words, who saw what happened, and in cases of homicide, who committed the murder. All of these reactions are ways the survivors use to grasp the reality of the death and to begin the grief process.
As Bio Technicians, you are often called by family members or meet them upon arrival to the scene. Understanding some of the dynamics of trauma on the grief process may help as you help the family. Understanding the “normalcy” of the reactions you may see can help you feel more competent and assured to speak with family members without wondering whether or not you are saying the “right” thing. Some suggestions are listed below, but the most important thing is to convey sincerity and compassion to the family. They are very vulnerable and sensitive to words, expressions, and body language. Just make sure that what you say and do is congruent with how you feel or you will come across as insincere and uncaring.
Soon after a traumatic death, most survivors simply need to tell the story to anyone who will listen. It is important for their recovery to be able to do this. If you have time to listen, do so. They are not necessarily looking for any input from you; they just need someone to listen.
Remember that there are two basic rules for grieving people – you don’t hurt yourself or someone else. If, during the conversation, you hear comments that indicate the person is thinking of either, you might suggest they go talk to someone else before making a decision to do something like this. Create a list of counselors, therapists, or mental health centers to hand out at times like these. Take comments about thoughts of suicide seriously and offer to call a friend or family member to be with the person and get them help. Suicide rates often increase after a sudden, traumatic death of a loved one. These are very difficult situations for you as a caregiver, but you need to set limits as to what you can and cannot do. Listening and having resources available are all you need. The survivor needs to take some responsibility for them, and others who are better trained to handle these situations need to be contacted.
Although many reactions may look and feel “crazy”, most are normal reactions to the situation. Again, as long as they don’t hurt themselves or someone else, they are probably reacting normally to an abnormal situation. Helping normalize these reactions is very helpful to the survivor. Encouraging the survivor to talk and to express what they are experiencing is also helpful. Making a simple statement such as, “I think I’d feel the same way if this happened to me”, helps the survivor feel less out of control.
There are many support groups available to survivors that would make a good resource for them. Creating a list of those in your community or in nearby communities is a great gift for survivors. They may not want to attend a support group, but usually someone from the group is always willing to talk to them by telephone or offer assistance.
In the work you do, you may find yourself in situations of dealing with survivors who have needs you do not feel comfortable or competent in dealing with. That’s okay as it is not your responsibility to be all things to all people. However, there are these simple steps you can take to help your families in a meaningful way. You can listen. You can refer. You can offer resources. Having some general knowledge of the traumatic grief process may make you feel more competent in dealing with your families and knowing that you are being supportive and helpful in a meaningful way.
Below are some national organizations that offer support groups in almost every locality. They are specific to either the type of death or the relationship to the person who died and are more appropriate to traumatic deaths. They all have web sites or central telephone numbers that can be contacted for local information.
The Compassionate Friends – for parents’ whose child has died of any cause.
MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Drivers offer support for parents who a drunk driver killed child
Widowed Persons Service – sponsored by AARP for spousal death
SOS – Survivors of Suicide support groups
POMC – Parents of Murdered Children and other victims of homicide.
These and many other groups may be listed at your county’s Victim Assistance Office usually located in the office of the District Attorney. Also, check with your local hospices or hospitals. They offer support groups that are open to the public. Some local churches may also host support groups. As you create your list, don’t try to keep up with the dates and times of group meetings as they change frequently. All you need is the name of the group, a telephone number, and possibly a contact person. Leave it to the survivors to take the responsibility to make the calls on their own behalf.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
RELEASE: Statement from Town and Gown Players
ATHENS (MyFOX ATLANTA) - The three people we lost yesterday were a part of the rich 50-year history of this theater and, more than that, were vital members of the Town and Gown family.
Ben Teague, loving husband of UGA's Dr. Fran Teague for more than 40 years, was not only a friend but also a father figure to all at the theater. One would be hard pressed to find a Town and Gowner who had not learned at least one life lesson from this wise and kind hearted man. His wife wishes to say, "Yesterday Ben was murdered, which is hard to comprehend and impossible to accept. It was a beautiful day, however, and he was in his favorite place with the people he loved." Ben was a translator of German, Russian and English.
Marie Bruce was the binding force that held the Town and Gown community together. Having worked with Town and Gown for over 20 years, at one time or another she served in every capacity at the theater, artistically and administratively, from leading lady to president of the board to chief cook and bottle washer. A local attorney, Marie was the mother of two young children.
A gentle presence, Tom Tanner breathed life into every corner of Town and Gown through his quiet diligence and astounding creativity - most would call him genius. Father of an equally amazing daughter, Tom would tell you that while he enjoyed his work as director of the Regional Dynamics Economic Modeling Laboratory at Clemson University, his heart lived and thrived in the theater.
Ben, Marie and Tom were a part of our family, and as painful as their loss is for us, we know it is even more painful for their families. We want to extend our deepest sympathy to their immediate family and close friends outside the theater community. There are no words we can use to adequately express our grief.
We would like to thank the Athens Police department and the media for their respectful treatment of this tragedy. We want to thank the American Bio Recovery Association and A1 BIO-Clean Service for the generous donation of their services in our time of need. We also want to thank the Athens Community for their support. This tragedy effects everyone in the community in some way, and we know you share in our loss. We ask that the media continue to be respectful of our privacy during this difficult time.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Custodian’s stress-disorder suit restored
Meghann M. Cuniff / Staff writer
The Spokesman-Review
A custodian who sued her school district after being forced to clean up the bloody scene of a student’s suicide had her lawsuit reinstated Tuesday by the Washington Court of Appeals.
Debbie Rothwell, who still works at Lakeside High School in Nine Mile Falls, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a lawsuit filed in May 2007 by her lawyer, William Powell, of Spokane. The 16-year-old student shot himself in the head inside the school’s main entrance in 2004. The lawsuit was dismissed in January 2008 by Spokane County Superior Court Judge Greg Sypolt, who ruled the incident was covered by the Industrial Insurance Act.
But the Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling, disagreed and reinstated the suit.
“There are people who do clean up the mess after one of these horrible murders or suicides happen,” Powell said Tuesday, referring to private professionals. “But the superintendent in this case chose not to do that. He should have known better.”
Along with former Superintendent Michael Green, now superintendent of the Woodland School District in Western Washington, the lawsuit names the Nine Miles Falls School District, Stevens County Sheriff Craig Thayer, two sheriff’s detectives and an unidentified man as defendants.
None was available for comment. Like most civil suits in Washington, the complaint seeks unspecified damages.
Rothwell’s complaints center around her task of cleaning up the suicide scene, then being asked to move a backpack she later learned belonged to the victim and contained a suspicious device that authorities detonated using a robot.
She stayed at work until after 4 a.m., cleaning the mess of blood, brain and bone alone, becoming “emotionally distraught and physically ill” before returning to the school less than four hours later at Green’s orders to serve cookies and coffee to grieving students and keep the media from the school, according to the suit.
At issue in the court decisions was whether Rothwell’s claim of post-traumatic stress disorder fell under the industrial injury act, which prohibits lawsuits based on industry injury or occupational disease.
Judges John A. Schultheis and Dennis J. Sweeney ruled it didn’t because it wasn’t the result of one work order. Her trauma grew over several days, according to their written opinion. Judge Teresa C. Kulik dissented.
The Spokesman-Review
A custodian who sued her school district after being forced to clean up the bloody scene of a student’s suicide had her lawsuit reinstated Tuesday by the Washington Court of Appeals.
Debbie Rothwell, who still works at Lakeside High School in Nine Mile Falls, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a lawsuit filed in May 2007 by her lawyer, William Powell, of Spokane. The 16-year-old student shot himself in the head inside the school’s main entrance in 2004. The lawsuit was dismissed in January 2008 by Spokane County Superior Court Judge Greg Sypolt, who ruled the incident was covered by the Industrial Insurance Act.
But the Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling, disagreed and reinstated the suit.
“There are people who do clean up the mess after one of these horrible murders or suicides happen,” Powell said Tuesday, referring to private professionals. “But the superintendent in this case chose not to do that. He should have known better.”
Along with former Superintendent Michael Green, now superintendent of the Woodland School District in Western Washington, the lawsuit names the Nine Miles Falls School District, Stevens County Sheriff Craig Thayer, two sheriff’s detectives and an unidentified man as defendants.
None was available for comment. Like most civil suits in Washington, the complaint seeks unspecified damages.
Rothwell’s complaints center around her task of cleaning up the suicide scene, then being asked to move a backpack she later learned belonged to the victim and contained a suspicious device that authorities detonated using a robot.
She stayed at work until after 4 a.m., cleaning the mess of blood, brain and bone alone, becoming “emotionally distraught and physically ill” before returning to the school less than four hours later at Green’s orders to serve cookies and coffee to grieving students and keep the media from the school, according to the suit.
At issue in the court decisions was whether Rothwell’s claim of post-traumatic stress disorder fell under the industrial injury act, which prohibits lawsuits based on industry injury or occupational disease.
Judges John A. Schultheis and Dennis J. Sweeney ruled it didn’t because it wasn’t the result of one work order. Her trauma grew over several days, according to their written opinion. Judge Teresa C. Kulik dissented.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A grisly business
Sometimes it's gruesome. Often it's traumatic. But someone has to clean up after murders. In America one woman and her team are glad to help. Julian Borger on the squad in white suits who see it all
The scene is familiar from a thousand cop shows and news bulletins. The chalk outline where the body lay. Yellow tape marking off the scene, and the flashing red lights as the ambulance pulls away. But what we never see is what happens next. In the wake of each brutal murder or desperate suicide, who stays behind to clear up the mess?
That is what Becky Della-Rodolfa wanted to know when a policewoman friend described a particularly nasty day at work on the troubled streets of Philadelphia.
"I said: 'Did you clean it up?'," Della-Rodolfa recalls. "She laughed at me, and she said: 'Are you kidding? The family cleans it up.' And that seemed so sad to me."
Sad, and commercially intriguing. Della-Rodolfa had a business degree and had had enough working for a government debt recovery department, sending in the bailiffs to bankrupt small enterprises. Here was the chance of filling a market niche, being her own boss, and perhaps sparing bereaved families some agony along the way.
Less than four years later, she is one of the partners in Trauma Scene Restoration, with up to 17 workers on call, ready to don white bio-hazard suits, gloves and rubber gas masks, and do what no one else is prepared to do. They will mop up the blood, scrape away human tissue, rip up floorboards, knock through walls, and restore everything until you would never guess anyone had died.
In Britain this unpleasant task is normally carried out by the police, but in the US, with a much higher rate of violent crime, the police are increasingly unwilling to handle more than they strictly need for evidence. So an industry is emerging to fill the gap, with more than 200 firms across the nation. The burgeoning business now has its own lobby group, the American Bio-Recovery Association (ABRA). It held its first convention in September in Las Vegas, where bio-recovery entrepreneurs schmoozed, swapped grisly tales and agreed to push Washington towards legislating federal standards. "We want to be regulated like any other industry," says Ron Gospodarski, ABRA's president. He is worried about the spread of cowboy outfits with no training and no safety regulations, who bulldoze their way into the homes of bereaved families.
Della-Rodolfa calls them "bleach-bottle companies" because "they just pour bleach over everything". Trauma Scene Restoration uses more sophisticated chemicals and enzymes. They arrive on the scene in a discreet white van, whereas the nearest competition in Baltimore parks outside in a bright red lorry emblazoned with the words: Crime Scene Cleanup. Unsurprisingly, the press are seldom far behind.
The delicate dilemma facing Trauma Scene Restoration was how to avoid being so crass, yet spread the word that the service existed. As Justin Jaconi, one of the company's white-suited cleaners, puts it: "What are we gonna say? 'If you die - call us?' It's one of those things - if you hear about it you hope you never have to use it."
In the end the new firm opted to place an advertisement in the Yellow Pages under house-cleaning, and Della-Rodolfa goes to police detectives conventions cvarrying golf tees inscribed with the firm's slogan - Restoring The Scene And Peace of Mind. "A lot of detectives and medical examiners play golf," she explains. This year, the firm is even sponsoring a police golf tournament.
Once ABRA has established itself, Della-Rodolfa expects it to start winning the big contracts - universities, hotel chains, the US postal service (in recent years a byword for murderous rampages by disgruntled employees) - who need a company they can trust on standby, to make the mess disappear in the event of "incidents".
Everyone in this business could spend all day reciting from the litany of horror stories which constitute their careers. If it isn't nasty they don't get called. Ron Gospodarski was summoned one night by a New York fast-food restaurant. There had been an argument in the queue. Someone got shoved and returned with a gun to shoot four people dead.
"There were blood smears along the walls and bullet holes everywhere, but the restaurant owner got us in straight away. As the medical examiners got through with each section, we moved in there, and the place was open the next day," he says.
Last week, Trauma Scene's van was outside a two-storey white house in south Philadelphia. A 300lb man, a recluse, had died in his home surrounded by the grimy bric-a-brac he had been buying from flea-markets for the past 15 years. There was plumbing, welding equipment, televisions and unidentifiable junk piled up to the ceiling in every room. The house was filthy and a pack of cats roamed at will.
By the time Della-Rodolfa reached the scene, the cats had gone and the main challenge was an infestation of maggots and cockroaches. She had to open the refrigerator, throw an insecticide canister in like a hand grenade and slam the door shut. "That was a screamer," she says, shivering at the memory.
Outside on the street, Justin Jaconi, a former demolition worker who by now is a 19-year-old veteran of putrid human debris, is talking about how to deal with the psychological hurdles involved in the job. He says: "You can't sit there and think: 'Well that sucks for that person'. If you sit there and think about it, you're going to get yourself into a bad situation."
The main challenge is to avoid either vomiting or weeping. On one of her first jobs, Della-Rodolfa started crying uncontrollably. "I just started looking at pictures of the family. The others were looking and telling me: 'Stop crying' but I just couldn't. I started to personalise it. Now I try not to look at the pictures. If they're tempting you, take them off the wall and turn them upside down."
Can there be possibly be a worse job anywhere? Della-Rodolfa does not see it that way. Firstly, Trauma Scene Restoration turned a small profit in its first year - unusual for a new small business. But more importantly, she insists, she is providing a service people desperately need at their worst imaginable moments.
"How can you walk away from the scene when the family is begging you for help? One of the first jobs I was on, the mother just hugged me for 10 minutes and kept telling me: 'You're like an angel.' People always ask me: 'How could you do it?', but it's more like 'How could you not?'"
The scene is familiar from a thousand cop shows and news bulletins. The chalk outline where the body lay. Yellow tape marking off the scene, and the flashing red lights as the ambulance pulls away. But what we never see is what happens next. In the wake of each brutal murder or desperate suicide, who stays behind to clear up the mess?
That is what Becky Della-Rodolfa wanted to know when a policewoman friend described a particularly nasty day at work on the troubled streets of Philadelphia.
"I said: 'Did you clean it up?'," Della-Rodolfa recalls. "She laughed at me, and she said: 'Are you kidding? The family cleans it up.' And that seemed so sad to me."
Sad, and commercially intriguing. Della-Rodolfa had a business degree and had had enough working for a government debt recovery department, sending in the bailiffs to bankrupt small enterprises. Here was the chance of filling a market niche, being her own boss, and perhaps sparing bereaved families some agony along the way.
Less than four years later, she is one of the partners in Trauma Scene Restoration, with up to 17 workers on call, ready to don white bio-hazard suits, gloves and rubber gas masks, and do what no one else is prepared to do. They will mop up the blood, scrape away human tissue, rip up floorboards, knock through walls, and restore everything until you would never guess anyone had died.
In Britain this unpleasant task is normally carried out by the police, but in the US, with a much higher rate of violent crime, the police are increasingly unwilling to handle more than they strictly need for evidence. So an industry is emerging to fill the gap, with more than 200 firms across the nation. The burgeoning business now has its own lobby group, the American Bio-Recovery Association (ABRA). It held its first convention in September in Las Vegas, where bio-recovery entrepreneurs schmoozed, swapped grisly tales and agreed to push Washington towards legislating federal standards. "We want to be regulated like any other industry," says Ron Gospodarski, ABRA's president. He is worried about the spread of cowboy outfits with no training and no safety regulations, who bulldoze their way into the homes of bereaved families.
Della-Rodolfa calls them "bleach-bottle companies" because "they just pour bleach over everything". Trauma Scene Restoration uses more sophisticated chemicals and enzymes. They arrive on the scene in a discreet white van, whereas the nearest competition in Baltimore parks outside in a bright red lorry emblazoned with the words: Crime Scene Cleanup. Unsurprisingly, the press are seldom far behind.
The delicate dilemma facing Trauma Scene Restoration was how to avoid being so crass, yet spread the word that the service existed. As Justin Jaconi, one of the company's white-suited cleaners, puts it: "What are we gonna say? 'If you die - call us?' It's one of those things - if you hear about it you hope you never have to use it."
In the end the new firm opted to place an advertisement in the Yellow Pages under house-cleaning, and Della-Rodolfa goes to police detectives conventions cvarrying golf tees inscribed with the firm's slogan - Restoring The Scene And Peace of Mind. "A lot of detectives and medical examiners play golf," she explains. This year, the firm is even sponsoring a police golf tournament.
Once ABRA has established itself, Della-Rodolfa expects it to start winning the big contracts - universities, hotel chains, the US postal service (in recent years a byword for murderous rampages by disgruntled employees) - who need a company they can trust on standby, to make the mess disappear in the event of "incidents".
Everyone in this business could spend all day reciting from the litany of horror stories which constitute their careers. If it isn't nasty they don't get called. Ron Gospodarski was summoned one night by a New York fast-food restaurant. There had been an argument in the queue. Someone got shoved and returned with a gun to shoot four people dead.
"There were blood smears along the walls and bullet holes everywhere, but the restaurant owner got us in straight away. As the medical examiners got through with each section, we moved in there, and the place was open the next day," he says.
Last week, Trauma Scene's van was outside a two-storey white house in south Philadelphia. A 300lb man, a recluse, had died in his home surrounded by the grimy bric-a-brac he had been buying from flea-markets for the past 15 years. There was plumbing, welding equipment, televisions and unidentifiable junk piled up to the ceiling in every room. The house was filthy and a pack of cats roamed at will.
By the time Della-Rodolfa reached the scene, the cats had gone and the main challenge was an infestation of maggots and cockroaches. She had to open the refrigerator, throw an insecticide canister in like a hand grenade and slam the door shut. "That was a screamer," she says, shivering at the memory.
Outside on the street, Justin Jaconi, a former demolition worker who by now is a 19-year-old veteran of putrid human debris, is talking about how to deal with the psychological hurdles involved in the job. He says: "You can't sit there and think: 'Well that sucks for that person'. If you sit there and think about it, you're going to get yourself into a bad situation."
The main challenge is to avoid either vomiting or weeping. On one of her first jobs, Della-Rodolfa started crying uncontrollably. "I just started looking at pictures of the family. The others were looking and telling me: 'Stop crying' but I just couldn't. I started to personalise it. Now I try not to look at the pictures. If they're tempting you, take them off the wall and turn them upside down."
Can there be possibly be a worse job anywhere? Della-Rodolfa does not see it that way. Firstly, Trauma Scene Restoration turned a small profit in its first year - unusual for a new small business. But more importantly, she insists, she is providing a service people desperately need at their worst imaginable moments.
"How can you walk away from the scene when the family is begging you for help? One of the first jobs I was on, the mother just hugged me for 10 minutes and kept telling me: 'You're like an angel.' People always ask me: 'How could you do it?', but it's more like 'How could you not?'"
Monday, April 6, 2009
Cleanup completed at Civic Association
April 5, 2009
Cleanup has been completed at the American Civic Association building in Binghamton, where a gunman killed 13 people and injured four before taking his own life Friday.
The American Bio-Recovery Association, a non-profit international association of crime and trauma scene professionals, said Sunday that the bio-recovery cleaning was complete. The Ipswich, Mass.-based group provided the service at no cost.
Two member companies, Disaster Clean Up of Endwell and the Bio-Recovery Corporation of New York City, donated labor and supplies to remediate the scene with a crew of six technicians.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Bio-Recovery Corporation Aids In Binghamton Crime Scene Cleanup
PRESS RELEASE
April 5th 2009
Bio-Recovery Corporation of New York City and Diaster Scene Cleanup of Endwell, NY responded to the American Civic Association on April 5th 2009 at the request of the American Bio-Recovery Association to aid the American Civic Association and the entire Binghamton community with the cleanup of the crime scene left in the aftermath of Fridays multiple homicide, suicide at their offices located at 131 Front St Binghamton, NY.
At the request of Dale Cillian, President of the non profit American Bio-Recovery Association (ABRA), the two named companies above provided all the labor and equipment to complete this cleanup in one day at no cost to the American Civic Association. "I couldn't have done this without you guys," stated Andrew Baranoski, Executive Director of the non-profit American Civic Association.
The American Bio Recovery Association, an international association of Crime & Trauma Scene Cleanup professionals strives to make these services available to all that require it throughout the United States.
April 5th 2009
Bio-Recovery Corporation of New York City and Diaster Scene Cleanup of Endwell, NY responded to the American Civic Association on April 5th 2009 at the request of the American Bio-Recovery Association to aid the American Civic Association and the entire Binghamton community with the cleanup of the crime scene left in the aftermath of Fridays multiple homicide, suicide at their offices located at 131 Front St Binghamton, NY.
At the request of Dale Cillian, President of the non profit American Bio-Recovery Association (ABRA), the two named companies above provided all the labor and equipment to complete this cleanup in one day at no cost to the American Civic Association. "I couldn't have done this without you guys," stated Andrew Baranoski, Executive Director of the non-profit American Civic Association.
The American Bio Recovery Association, an international association of Crime & Trauma Scene Cleanup professionals strives to make these services available to all that require it throughout the United States.
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