Veterans Help People Recover from Trauma
Former Marines Remove Blood, Body Fluids after Traumatic Event
Mar 30, 2009
Ben Lichtenwalner and Ryan Sawyer served in Iraq in the U.S. Marines Mortuary Affairs division, the unit that recovered fallen servicemen. Their biohazard cleanup service was used to secure any dead body, including Americans, enemies and innocent by-standers. In 2005, this experience led to founding Biotrauma Inc., a Gainsville, Ga., business that cleans up after a death scene with sensitivity and emotional well-being for the victim. Biotrauma remediation in a timely manner is crucial for the distraught individual, said Lichtenwalner, vice president of the company.
“Currently, 80 percent of all families clean up after incidents themselves because they don’t know about us. It’s a shame because we are totally covered under homeowners’ insurance policies,” he said.
Cleaning up after a murder or suicide can be difficult for people to handle emotionally, Lichtenwalner added. Biotrauma, which serves the Southeast, offers a 24-hour service and dispatch technicians immediately. The company usually checks with local police to make sure the scene has been released for cleanup. If they find evidence the police might have missed, they call the investigator and provide the evidence.
Reasons to Call Biotrauma
Lichtenwalner offered several reasons why people should call Biotrauma to handle cleanup.
- Homeowners can avoid bloodborne pathogen exposure and diseases transmitted through blood
- They can avoid psychological disorders, such as Critical Incident Stress Syndrome and Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Federal regulations require remediators of blood pathogens be trained, equipped and vaccinated
- Federal regulations also require hazardous waste training and protected against all risks
- Records have to be maintained for up to 30 years
- State and federal regulations also require proper disposal of human biohazard waste
As part of its service, Biotrauma delivers a comprehensive death scene cleanup solution. The workers use hospital-grade disinfectant and odor neutralizing technology. The technicians repair or replace any flooring or structural damage that might have occurred. The company can complete the work in a few days. The workers also will monitor a home or business to ensure the restoration of the property returns to pre-incident condition in a timely manner.
Families Get Peace of Mind
The service allows family members to focus on each other instead of the damage to the property. Biotrauma provides victims with peace of mind regarding one aspect of a traumatic event.
According Lichtenwalner, few companies provide the death scene cleanup service that Biotrauma does, but the company is not national. Although the Marines would like to expand, they don't have enough technicians that can do the work involved. For now, they are focusing on the Southeast, Lichtenwalner said.
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