Cleaning Up After Violent Deaths in Florida

By JILL SHATZEN Special to The Sun
BRANDON KRUSE/The Gainesville Sun

Crystal Pinkston and her husband Dan Pinkston own Accident Cleaners Inc., a business that specializes in cleaning up after a death — the blood, fluids, etc. — so that grieving families don’t have to.

Dan and Crystal Pinkston say they lead as normal a life as they can, given their occupation. But when their business gets the call to clean up a mess, we’re not talking an ordinary mess. Their business is Accident Cleaners Inc., a trauma and crime scene cleanup service that Dan, 37, has owned and operated since 2001 and now shares with his wife, Crystal, 25.

Their job is to clean up the aftermath of a death — the blood, fluids, etc. — so that grieving family members don’t have to. The glossy brochure they place into the hands of their heartbroken clients displays photos of sad faces and words like, “Compassion in Crisis” and “You repair your heart, let us repair your home.” And that’s what they do.

“You’ve got to be careful,” Dan said. “You don’t want to use the word ‘understand’ because you don’t understand. So we try to be as polite as we can be and get the job done fast and quick so they can get on with their healing.”

The unusual business idea was the brainchild of Dan Pinkston, who, after working as a firefighter with the Ocala Fire Department for more than a decade, said he began to see a trend. He said many times he would be on a job where casualties occurred and the family members would look to the firemen to clean up the mess.

“The thing is, the fire department doesn’t do it, the police department doesn’t do it, so the family members were left to clean it up,” he said, before Crystal added, “They really had no choice.”
That’s when Dan Pinkston said he realized that there was a demand for a business that would do the job that no one wanted to do, and do it in a sensitive, compassionate way. He traveled to Boston in 2001 to take a week-long class to become certified by the American Bio-Recovery Association but found he had already fulfilled many of the requirements through the fire department.

After being in business for about four years, Dan met Crystal through a set-up by a mutual friend, and the two were married in October 2007. For Crystal Pinkston, taking on the business wasn’t as big of a shock as it could have been.

“I was in the janitorial services business before we met,” she said. “I started my own business and had it for about five years or so, and he was in this business already, so it was just kind of transferring over to a different kind of cleaning.”

The Pinkstons said that while business has steadily increased since they began in 2001, there are limits to the number of calls they receive. On average, they said they receive about two calls per month, and added that several have been high-profile crimes.

“We’re not living in Miami or New York,” Dan said. “We don’t have the crime that those areas have. We stay busy, but it’s not going off the charts and we’re happy about that.” Crystal agreed, saying, “You don’t just sit around and pray for business by any means. Business is good, but we don’t want to encourage anyone.”

Both said that sometimes it’s hard not to take the job home with them. Dan said the hardest job he has ever had to do was clean up after the suicide of a 12-year-old boy. For Crystal, it’s the homicides that hit her the hardest.

“In a homicide you have to think about the fact that someone was murdered,” she said. “They were taken by surprise; it was not their free will to come in and have this happen to them. It’s difficult for me just seeing how someone struggled trying to stay alive in these cases.”
Still, they maintain that being in it together is what helps them through.

“It just all goes back to helping people,” Dan said. “That’s why you do it.”

BUSINESS IS CLEANING UP AFTER FAMILY TRAGEDY, WOMAN FORMS FIRM TO SANITIZE SCENES

By Linda Trischitta

When Joan Dougherty's relative died at home, she did the only thing she could think of: rolled up her sleeves and cleaned his house. The experience was physically and emotionally exhausting for Dougherty, who was working as a hairstylist at the time.
"When I asked law enforcement who could help us, and this was in the early 1980s, there was nobody," said Dougherty, 64. Seeing a need, she formed her own company in a growing field: crime scene cleanup.

"I know what it's like to be in that situation," she said. "I've been there."
Name a South Florida disaster and Dougherty's 12-year-old Margate company, AA Trauma Cleaning Service, has been there, too. With five employees, she's on call around the clock, starting at $125 an hour. Her clients often are reimbursed by insurance.When the American Media Inc. building in Boca Raton was contaminated with anthrax in 2001, her company evaluated conditions inside and cranes lifted her employees to work on rooftop air- conditioning units.

When two planes crashed over the Boca Grove Plantation community in 2000, she got the call. AA Trauma also has handled norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships. More typical than the headline-grabbing cases are the hurricanes that bring mold growth or flooding to overwhelmed homeowners; suicides in motels, or elderly hoarders who lose control of their property. "I once took at least 1,000 bottles from a kitchen," she said. "It was a sad situation."

She has attended numerous courses in topics such as sewage back flow and is licensed to transport biomedical waste. "The dead body, pre-embalming, is a biohazard," said Dougherty, who tackles a scene after a corpse is removed. She takes care not to disturb the possessions of the deceased. "There's no such thing as closure," she said. "With the belongings, that was part of that loved one's life, and that's what the survivors are holding on to."

Dougherty is the go-to gal for a lot of folks in the business who encounter unique situations. Ron Gospodarski of Bio-Recovery Corp. in New York tapped her to help clean up anthrax at ABC-TV headquarters. "I consult with her on things that we don't have here," he said. "For instance, cops may use tear gas in Florida. We don't use it that often in New York. She will go out of her way to help you solve your issue." He said he admires her stamina. "It's hard work and I give her a lot of credit. The physical side of it, it's really unpleasant, some of the most gut-wrenching odors you've ever smelled in your life," Gospodarski said.

To keep odors at bay, Dougherty typically wears a respirator, removes the smelly source from the scene and, after cleaning up, sprays a suppression product that grabs odor molecules.
John O'Malley, the Palm Beach County Health Department director of environmental health and engineering, called Dougherty for the AMI job. "She had to provide a health and safety plan that was approved by a lot of agencies and it was a unique situation; we were flying by the seat of our pants," he said. "They were qualified to handle that."

One dark Friday night found her helping Michael Spindell, biomedical waste coordinator for the Broward County Health Department, retrieve test tubes filled with fluids that were illegally dumped in a canal. "We had to retrieve them all, 20 or so," she said. "That was tough because it was nighttime and there are alligators. We were at the edge on the slope, with our feet in the water." "She was extremely knowledgeable in manner and expertise and is well thought of in the industry," said Spindell, who has seen Dougherty lecture to biomedical waste coordinators upstate.

"What you are not seeing is what you should be concerned with," Dougherty said of what clients may have to cope with. "You have to capture blood and outflow that can migrate. It can get trapped under a seal plate [that supports wall studs] or wick up into base molding and drywall."
Kent Berg, founder of the 12-year-old American Bio-Recovery Association, estimates the industry is 25 percent female-owned, with 600 to 700 companies in the United States. The industry is expanding in Florida because of the growing population, crime and a large elderly segment.

Berg said there are no federal standards for the industry. "There is a disturbing number of untrained and uncertified companies that we hear about through attorneys and attorney general offices and insurance company complaints," said Berg. "We're appalled by the lack of quality of their work and the exorbitant prices they are charging." He said it's not unheard of to have a kitchen cleaned up, a family return home and have blood spurt up from between the floor tiles. "In this kind of work it's all about the details and protection from biohazards, and we're not seeing that in some places."

Linda Trischitta can be reached at ljtrischitta@sun- sentinel.com or 954-356-4233.

DEP Agents Arrest Jacksonville Doctor for Improperly Disposing of Biomedical Solid Waste

-Approximately four garbage bags of biomedical waste found in dumpster-

JACKSONVILLE -Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) law enforcement agents arrested Dr. Napoleon Depadua of Industrial Medicine Group on Wednesday for improperly disposing of approximately 200 pounds, or four garbage bags, of biomedical waste in a dumpster. Depadua was charged with Improper Disposal of Solid Waste (Biomedical), a first degree misdemeanor punishable by up to six months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $10,000.

“Disposing biomedical waste without following the proper procedure is unsafe and compromising to the environment,” said DEP Division of Law Enforcement Director Henry Barnet. “Thanks to assistance from the Duval County Department of Health, we were able to solve this environmental crime quickly and efficiently.”

DEP law enforcement agents were alerted on Wednesday by the Duval County Department of Health (DOH) of a possible crime. After DEP and DOH officials examined the contents of the Industrial Medical Group dumpster, they determined that the waste was biomedical and generated by Industrial Medicine Group. Further investigation led agents to Depadua, who had dumped the waste rather than having it disposed of by a registered biomedical waste transporter. Depadua provided a sworn written statement admitting that he alone illegally disposed of the biomedical waste into the dumpster on the afternoon of July 15, 2008, and was issued a notice to appear in court.

DEP’s Division of Law Enforcement is responsible for statewide environmental resource law enforcement, providing law enforcement services to Florida’s state parks and greenways and trails. Agents investigate environmental resource crimes and illegal dredge and fill activities, and respond to natural disasters, civil unrest, hazardous material incidents and oil spills that can threaten the environment.

To report an environmental crime, wireless customers can now dial #DEP. Callers can also report environmental crimes to the State Warning Point by calling (877) 2-SAVE-FL (1.877.272.8335). General environmental inquiries should be directed to DEP district offices during business hours.

For more information about DEP’s Division of Law Enforcement, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/law.

Jacksonville Man Arrested for Dumping Biomedical Waste

JACKSONVILLE –

Late Friday, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) law enforcement agents arrested Mitchell Scott Keane, age 34, of Jacksonville for the theft and improper disposal of biomedical waste.
Over the last two months, DEP law enforcement agents partnered with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Duval County Health Department to investigate the theft of biomedical waste from St. Vincent’s Medical Center and Baptist Medical Center. Keane was arrested as DEP agents observed him illegally disposing of the waste into commercial dumpsters. Agents also recovered more than 674 pounds of biomedical waste from his residence.
Keane is charged with a felony violation of the Florida Litter Law, felony theft and trespassing. If found guilty of the felony charges, Keane could face up to five years in jail and a fine of $5,000. No court date has been set.

Pasco County Man Arrested for Illegally Dumping Biomedical Waste

PORT RICHEY–
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) law enforcement officers today arrested Andrew Tierney Froelich, age 54, owner of ServPro in Port Richey, for illegally dumping biomedical waste.During a six week investigation, in partnership with the Pasco County Health Department and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, DEP law enforcement officers observed Froelich illegally disposing biomedical waste into a commercial dumpster.Froelich is charged with 3rd degree felony commercial dumping. Charges are pending for transportation of bio-medical waste without a permit and causing a public nuisance. If found guilty, Froelich could face up to five years in jail and a fine of $5,000. No court date has been set.

Norovirus Outbreak on Hawaiian Waters

By Ron Mizutani

A highly contagious virus sickened dozens of passengers during a recent cruise aboard the "Pride of America."The United States Food and Drug Administration confirms Norwegian Cruise Lines reported a Norovirus outbreak on a cruise in Hawaiian Waters.

Sources tell KHON more than 67 of the 1,837 passengers aboard the "Pride of America" between January 17th and the 24th were stricken by the virus."Norovirus is something that is always a problem in a confined environment where there are multiple different people coming together," said Dr. Alan Tice, infectious disease consultant. "Sometimes the diarrhea can be so bad that it is serious and occassionally people have to be hospitalized for it and it can be very miserable."The Norovirus is a short-lived infection but the virus has shown up in stool samples taken eight weeks after an outbreak. State health officials could not comment on the case because it is a federal investigation but acknowledged it is assisting the F-D-A. They add all islands are on alert."And I think that's an error on the part of the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration -- these matters are serious they should be taken care of -- they should be addressed to the public in a timely fashion," said Carroll Cox of Envirowatch. "Things fall through he cracks because of bureaucracy."

The Pride of America is currently on another inter-island cruise. N-C-L did not return our calls."The procedures for Norovirus are pretty clear in terms of cleaning they have special cleaning agents in general that they use," said Tice. "They go around and general do an extraordinary job cleaning anywhere from door knobs, to carpets, to whatever that may be affected pools etc. where this virus can persist for a matter of often days."In November 2007, about 400 out of 25-hundred passengers were stricken with Norovirus aboard the Pride Of Hawaii, the largest epidemic on a cruise ship of that size in '07. State health officials encourage anyone diagnosed with the virus to wash their hands after using the bathroom. Critics say that's not enough."This incident occurs and no transparency -- the public is not informed," said Cox. "If the state health department is involved -- than the state health department has a responsibility to inform the public."In addition to the 67 passengers, 14 employees were also sickened by the virus.

When the Police Call 911

by Andrew Yurchuck

Police officers work in a hostile environment. Danger lurks with every car stop and around every corner. Every modern police department issues its officers bullet-resistant vests to help keep them safe. Departments are very good at being proactive with immediate dangers. Many times, though, they overlook the threats that can affect their officers’ lives over the long haul, such as bloodborne pathogens.

Just one workman’s compensation claim for a police officer can cost a department millions of dollars in claims. Most departments are self-insured, or are part of a joint insurance fund that pays medical and general liability losses. The medical costs can be catastrophic for small departments.According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, in the general population, one in 300 people are HIV positive; one in 20 have Hepatitis, one in five have herpes and one in three have some type of bloodborne disease. If the statistics aren’t scary enough, keep in mind that police officers work every day around populations with an increased risk of carrying bloodborne pathogens, such as intravenous drug users, prostitutes and habitual offenders that have been incarcerated in close quarters for the long term. To complicate matters further, many of the people these officers deal with don’t even know they are sick or infectious.

Several lawsuits have been filed by present and former prisoners that have been exposed to bloodborne pathogens due to lack of cleanliness or being forced to occupy or clean up a space that had been contaminated with known body fluids. OSHA mandates police officers receive annual bloodborne pathogens training. However, this training is often inadequate for them to properly decontaminate the eventualities they may encounter on the job. Herein lies the opportunity for the bio-recovery specialist.

Different companies will operate in different ways, depending on location, department size, budget and time constraints, and other factors. For example, we service 70 contracts to clean patrol cars and jail cells, operating with round-the-clock service to get the police department cars and cells back into service fast (95 percent of calls for service are after hours and on weekends).

Bio-recovery companies that decide to offer these services must respond as rapidly as possible. Jobs like this can’t wait until Monday morning (or even until the next morning, for that matter). The service is most valuable to small departments, those that may operate with fewer than four holding cells and 10 patrol cars. For these departments it’s critical to be up and operating as soon as possible because of limited resources; daytime, weekday cleanups are often provided by public works departments.

Properly equipped and trained bio-recovery firms may also find themselves presented with a related opportunity: providing ongoing maintenance service for patrol cars and cells. Holding cells can be deep cleaned using specialized equipment the municipalities don’t have access to or else do not know how to properly use. Cells can often be power washed, with the wastewater recovered for sanitary disposal. Pest control can also be a lucrative offering, especially when department heads see the problem firsthand. Firms performing patrol car and cell decontamination also have a built-in opportunity to reach new markets: the same departments and officers you are taking care of will turn into some of your greatest champions when it comes to restoration jobs in their communities. Put another way, patrol car and jail cell cleaning is an easy, powerful way to keep your company in front of your current customers and future referrals.

Paying for the Service
It would be great if all police departments included emergency service decontamination in their annual budgets, but that’s not always the case. In situations where funds may be otherwise unavailable, explore having the police department recover the cost of your services from the offender. For example, if the police pick up a drunk driver and he vomits in the patrol car on the way to the station (this happens more than you think) the department calls in your decontamination team and they go to work.

Have the billing office send the invoice to the department before the offender is released, and have them attach the invoice to the offenders arrest jacket for remuneration. Just like a fine, the offender doesn’t get their driver’s license back until the department gets reimbursed. This is a win-win situation for all parties involved. Hiring a contractor for cleaning out the cars and cells improves department morale, eliminates occupational exposure for the under-trained, under-equipped police officer and provides proper disposal and remediation outlet for medical waste and other contaminants being removed from department property. Costs for cleanups vary wildly depending on the severity; some companies use police decontaminations as loss leaders, but informal polls show companies typically charge between $150 and $700 a car.

The business of bio-recovery should not be entered into lightly. The same risks that you are protecting the police officers from are dangers that you will face on the job. Proper training and equipment is critical to staying safe on the job. The American Bio-Recovery Association, as well as various for-profit companies, can take your training in the right direction.

Apartments evacuated after drug investigation

SPRINGDALE - Police conducting follow-up investigations at a Springdale apartment complex this week found remnants of two more methamphetamine manufacturing operations, prompting the evacuation of three neighboring apartments.
Springdale police on Friday arrested Adam Cline, 27, Kelly Cuesta, 37, Ashley Kilpatrick, 20, and John Sheeley, 60, on charges of possessing paraphernalia with intent to manufacture and possession of a controlled substance. All were arrested at 213 Erin Place, Apt. 202, said police spokesman Sgt. Shane Pegram.
Roommates Becca Ross and Tori Mooneyham are the only ones left in the four-plex, which was evacuated Monday after children at the apartment complex led police to a black bag containing methamphetamine production components.
"It's been a little bit inconvenient to say the least," Mooneyham said.
Ross said that she recently suffered a seizure she attributes to fumes from the lab. She said everyone living there has been feeling ill in the three weeks the unit has been occupied.
On Tuesday afternoon, police found remnants of a methamphetamine lab in an apartment previously occupied by the same four people, Pegram said.
"It looks like it was not a meth lab, but what's called lab trash," he said.
Pegram said that the findings required more tenants to be relocated, this time from 282 Erin Place. He said parts of that building were tagged for testing.
Another lab was found just south of the unit at 312 Erin Place in June.
Chief building official Mike Chamlee said he inspected the building as part of the Springdale Nuisance Abatement Program.
The black bag found behind the apartment contained several items, including a can of camp fuel and ammonia sludge, Chamlee said.
Chamlee said that the two adjoining apartment units were evacuated until tests can be done to determine whether there is any contamination from drug manufacturing.
Chamlee said that in the past two years about six labs had to be cleaned up throughout the city.
"It seems like when you find one you find two or three more fairly quickly," he said.
Cleaning the site will likely cost a minimum of $1,500 said Jerry Allred, principal broker for the firm that manages the apartment units.
Allred said he hopes the building can be cleaned quickly, but if not, they will discuss options with displaced tenants, such as possibly refunding a portion of their rent.
Legal action will likely be taken against the tenants of the unit, Allred said.
Once initial tests are done a cleanup plan will be developed, said Carlette Anderson, executive director of Haz-Mert, which handles and disposes of hazardous wastes.
Anderson said her firm is bidding on the Erin Place apartment, but she has not been in the building. Typically the test will determine what steps are taken.
High contamination levels could require the removal of drywall, Anderson said. She said the first step is to determine whether the presence of methamphetamine is above the state standard of 0.05 micrograms per hundred cubic centimeters.
Anderson said the cleanup could take weeks.
"A lot of times we have meth that permeates the walls," she said. "We may have to clean three times to get a good level - it's a lot of work."
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