The taking of a life by another human leave families traumatized and victimized. The remaining family is often overwhelmed with emotions and grief. Just dealing with a loss of a loved one is difficult. The additional burdens associated with violent crimes include dealing with media and police in addition to the other tasks associated with a death. Funeral arrangements, life insurance, contacting family and friends and locating wills are only some of the items that can quickly overwhelm a family. Miller's Trauma Scene Restoration can help remove one burden; the burden of dealing with the gruesome physical aftermath of blood and body fluids. Because this is the only type of service we provide, we have experience to respond with sensitivity while maintaining our objectivity to begin the restoration process.

 

The taking of one's own life (or the attempt) can be very difficult to understand. This confusion coupled with a death quickly overwhelms family and friends. We work as discreetly as possible to protect the confidentiality of the victim and family.  The after effects of firearms (handguns, rifles and shotguns) are disturbing and leave scenes that no one should ever have to witness. These scenes can be ghastly, resulting in family and friends experiencing additional emotional trauma such as Critical Incident Stress Syndrome. Being forced to clean up the body fluids and other biological debris can emotionally scar individuals. It is important to use trained professionals to deal with these situations.

 

 

After a death, nature begins the process of returning our physical being to its simplest form, hence the term "ashes to ashes". This process begins immediately and begins to show the characteristic signs of biological decomposition within as little as a day. Biological fluids begin to seep from the body. These fluids are loaded with proteins which are a food source for bacteria, insects and mold. As these fluids are exposed to the atmosphere, the ?death' odor is emitted to continue to attract additional bacteria and insects to accelerate the process. The result of this process can overload the both visual and olfactory (nasal) senses. Additionally, the scene can be dangerous due to the bloodborne pathogens, bacteria and mold spores. Most people understand the risks of exposure to bloodborne pathogens such as HIV and Hepatitis but other risks are associated with these scenes. Exposure to these scenes may result in flu-like illness or attacks on the respiratory system. These scenes are better left to professionals that specialize in blood and biological fluid recovery utilizing personal protective equipment and approved procedures.

 

 

We find that violent activities such as shootings, self inflicted wounds and stabbings often occur inside cars and trucks. Unattended deaths inside a vehicle can be a gruesome sight. Due to environmental factors, biological decomposition is often accelerated inside a vehicle resulting in a large volume of body fluids being released. Proper recovery of all the fluids and sanitizing the vehicle are key to restoring the vehicle to a usable state.

 

 

Just because someone survived an injury or accident does not mean that the  outcome is any less tragic. Industrial accidents can be a traumatic personal experience for co-workers. Besides the potential emotional scarring of cleaning up after a co-worker, friend or family member, retrieval of body fluids by janitorial staffs (even those with bloodborne pathogen training) can quickly mount into more than the untrained professional can safely handle. Critical Incident Stress Syndrome (C.I.S.S.) is a very real threat to the well being of persons that try to deal with these situations.