Beyond Yellow Tape

Transcript

Welcome to After the Tape

Speaker 1 0:19

Hey there and welcome to After the Tape , the podcast where we dig into the worlds left behind after the headlines fade . My name is Doug Boruchin and I'm with ITS Environmental Services in New York , and today we're diving into a topic that's as fascinating as it is haunting crime scene cleanup . If you've ever wondered what happens after the police , the detectives and the news vans leave a crime scene , well , stick around . The reality is intense . It'sives and the news vans leave a crime scene Well , stick around . The reality is intense , it's messy and it's full of humanity .

Speaker 1 0:53

Crime scene cleanup is one of those jobs that a good amount of people don't even know exists , unfortunately , until they need it , which I always found a little bit interesting because I've seen a few mainstream movies about crime scene cleanup . So when people tell me that they don't , they didn't know that people do what we do I always found it a little bit strange . But we're not just talking about mopping up a bit of blood here . This is a specialized , biohazard level work that requires protective gear , chemical know-how and a really strong stomach . Teams are called in after murders , suicides , unattended deaths , industrial accidents , medical traumas and even meth lab busts . And the most unexpected part it's not the police who handle it . It's private companies , sometimes family-run businesses

Safety and Protocols

Speaker 1 1:35

, that get the call . Before I get into anything else , I want to talk a little bit about safety first . You can't just show up with bleach and a mop to clean up a crime scene . We wear full-body disposable coveralls , gloves we actually wear two pairs of gloves respirators , the works . We use EPA approved hospital grade disinfectants to sanitize , deodorize , and sometimes we have to tear out flooring , drywall to completely remove traces of biohazard and blood . Everything we do is treated as a potential health risk , or what OSHA would call universal precautions . Just treat everything like it could possibly kill you Blood tissue , even fingerprint dust . It all has to be handled like toxic , infectious waste and , yes , there are strict OSHA and EPA regulations that we have to follow .

Speaker 1 2:22

I want to talk a little bit about something that most people don't think about when they think about what we do . There's an emotional toll that comes

Emotional Toll and Strange Discoveries

Speaker 1 2:30

with this . If you can imagine walking into somebody's house where somebody just lost their lives sometimes violently , sometimes really tragically alone and grieving family members are actually still in the house . So we kind of look at what we do as one of the first stages in helping a family or surviving , friends and families heal and move past this horrible , horrible time in their lives . There's a whole world of strange stories that come from crime scene cleaners . We found hidden safe stacks of cash , love letters , very personal private items . When you go into other people's homes , you never know what you're going to find . It's like those bizarre box of chocolates .

Speaker 1 3:17

One common thing is , though the job demands a lot of discretion . We're asked sometimes to arrive in unmarked vans , and you know we don't wear uniforms that say biohazard in giant red letters across the back . Why not ? Well , because we respect the privacy of the people that we're helping and the communities that we work in . Now you might be wondering who wants to do this kind of work

Who Does This Work?

Speaker 1 3:41

. Well , it takes a rare mix to do this . You need a strong constitution , you need compassion , attention to detail and genuine desire to help people in their darkest moments . A lot of workers on this job say this gives them perspective on life and death and what really matters in their lives . The pay can be pretty decent , especially considering the risks , but not all people in the field are in it just for the money . A lot of us are in this really to just help people get past probably the most difficult time in their lives .

Speaker 1 4:13

So in the coming weeks we're going to tell some stories about crime scenes and trauma scenes that we've worked on . We're going to bring in some guests . We're going to actually give you a pretty comprehensive look at the crime scene . We're going to have some detectives come in . We're going to speak to somebody that was the chief medical examiner for New York City for many , many years a fascinating woman that wrote a great book and we're going to talk about some of the other things that we do .

Speaker 1 4:39

It's not just crime scene cleanup , it's not just blood . Crime scene cleaners are typically involved in things like hoarding gross filth , disinfection All sorts of other things come with the job , and we're

Future Episodes and Closing Thoughts

Speaker 1 4:53

going to have some great stories to tell . So when you think about you know , when you see the yellow tape on the news , remember when the investigation ends . Somebody still has to clean all this up , and for those of us that do it , it's more than a job . It's really kind of an act of care . So thanks for listening to After the Tape . If you liked this episode , be sure to subscribe and leave us a review . Got a question or a story to share ? Hit us up on Instagram at afterthetapepodcast . One last thing I'd like everyone to take with them before I go is that every day you wake up is another day that's been given to you , so make it count Until next time . Stay curious , stay , stay compassionate , check in on your loved ones and don't forget what happens after the tape .