Hawaii's Dirtiest Job?

Written by Lisa Kubota - lkubota@kgmb9.com

It's one of those horrible jobs somebody has to do.

Cleaning up bloody crime scenes is stomach-turning work.

But the owners of a unique Hawaii business tackle the task on top of their regular jobs.

Theresa Nishite is comfortable in the classroom.

She's been at Moanalua High School for nearly a decade.

A year and a half ago, this biology teacher started a new chapter in her life with a second career.

This is her other job.

Cleaning up gruesome crime and trauma scenes.

"If I come by myself, the first thing they say when they look at me is, 'Are you the one that's gonna clean this up?,'" said Nishite.

She's seen it all from blood splatter to the mess left behind by decaying bodies.

"It definitely wasn't something that I got used to right away cause sometimes the things that we see in our jobs are a little bit stomach queasy," Nishite said. "You see the maggots flying around and the flies and everything."

To protect themselves, Nishite and her partner, Tom Tomimbang, wear splashproof biosuits.

They seal their gloves shut with duct tape.

And they wear masks with special filters to help with the worst part of the job, the overwhelming odor.

"People are under the impression that sometimes the police or firefighters or even the ambulance will clean up a lot of the mess," said Tomimbang.

Tomimbang knows because he's a Honolulu police officer, a veteran of 17 years.

He came up with the idea for Island Decon, after spotting an ad online for a biohazard recovery certification course.

The couple invested $50,000 in equipment and powerful cleaning supplies.

"It kills HIV, hepatitis, also the avian flu," Tomimbang said.

The company charges $250 an hour for cleaning up and decontaminating death scenes.

Island Decon also does other jobs, tackling everything from bird droppings to sewage backups.

"Yeah, I talk about it like it's no big deal but maybe two years ago, I would have been, 'Whoa! Really?' I would have been amazed at what I'm doing right now. I don't think I would have ever seen myself doing this kind of work," Nishite said.

"The best part is the thank yous from the families -- to see that they don't have to go through more emotional trauma," Tomimbang said.

Right now, the company is based out of the couple's home in Waikele.

One day, they hope to expand and get a separate space for their business.

Why you need crime scene cleanup services

By Alex Thomson

Crime scene cleanup or trauma scene cleanup after the death of someone either violently or naturally is by and large the responsibility of the victim’s family. Even till few years ago, there were a handful of cleaning companies that specialized in trauma cleaning service. But today this niche service has emerged as a lucrative business and there are many companies who provide this service.

Trauma cleaning service requires special experience, skills, equipment and expertise to deal with different types of bio-hazardous waste and dispose them efficiently with the minimum possible emotional stress to the victim’s family.

The most traumatic form of death is violent death and leaves the victim’s family feeling both victimized and traumatized. Coming to terms with the unnatural death of a loved one is in itself an uphill task for the bereaved family, and to top it they have to deal with other practical matters like making funeral arrangements, dealing with insurance issues, contacting surviving family and friends and locating wills. Furthermore, in case of violent crimes the police and the media are also involved. This can really overwhelm any family. Here is where trauma cleaning service comes to your rescue. They lighten one of the heaviest burdens, that is of dealing with the horrid murder cleanup. They will take care of the crime scene cleanup, ensuring that the scene is restored to its pre-incidental state as far as possible and in the most quick and efficient manner thus allowing you to deal with other important matters. Most service providers work discreetly and protect the confidentiality of the sufferer and family.

Most of the times, the crime scenes are so ghastly that they can induce additional emotional trauma in victim’s friends and family. By hiring professionals for cleanup, you can reduce this emotional stress. Immediately after death the nature begins its process of breaking down the body. Unattended death scene and dead bodies can be dangerous as it gives rise to blood borne pathogens, mold spores and bacteria. You may try to clean the area by yourself but the exposure may result in flu-like diseases or direct attack on the respiratory system. So it is advisable to leave this job to professionals who specialize in bio fluid and blood remediation.

The total cost involving a trauma scene cleanup will depend on a number of factors. One of the most major factors is that how many technicians will be needed for the job, how long will the job take and the quantity of hazardous material that needs to be treated and disposed of. It can range anywhere in the range of $100 to $1000 per hour. Some people might call this business as capitalizing on death but it is still essential and indispensable in case of a death.