Aftermath Visits the 2015 IACP Conference and Training

This weekend, a large contingent from Aftermath descended on the Westin Hotel in Wheeling, IL, as part of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Summer Conference and Training Event. According to the website, the IACP is “a nationally recognized organization, representing law enforcement executives from across the State of Illinois, was founded in 1941 in Springfield, Illinois.” The three day event consisted of a key note speaker who spoke on the topic of the Boston Bombing, plus lectures, classes, and training opportunities geared toward members, which includes police chiefs and the law enforcement community in general.

The Aftermath Services team consisted of Stephen Brown (National Director of Business Development, pictured on the left), Tony Cusinato (Senior Manager Law Enforcement Relations), Tina Bao (SVP, Marketing and Strategy), and Brendon Weidner (Senior Financial & Operations Analyst). Andrew Whitmarsh, Director of Operations (pictured on the right), was also on hand and presented several prizes to attendees.

The conference is educational in nature, with numerous sessions, so there were only a handful of vendors in attendance overall. Aftermath sponsored lunch on Saturday, and Taser International hosted on Friday. Although not a large show, the event allowed Aftermath some one-on-one time with the officers, strengthening relationships with quite a few.Attendees responded well to those interactions– many knew about death cleanup and had referred the company before, to families and victims of crime.

Aftermath team members had suggestions for the police community as well. For example, by putting Aftermath on roll calls, police were reminded that the company is a resource when they have questions about all types of biohazard situations, including homicide, suicide, and crime scene cleanup. Another point of discussion was the overall benefit of hiring professional cleanup assistance. To drive home this point, while the conference was going on, Aftermath received a letter from a satisfied customer that brought to the forefront the important nature of the work. One year ago on June 12th, Aftermath Supervisor Jim Stricker helped out a family; one relative took the time to email Jim exactly one year to the day to thank him for making a difference in her life.

Aftermath also gave away several prizes over the course of the weekend. Officer Michael Fernandes of the Norwood Police Department in Peoria, and Professor George Scharm of Oakton Community College were the lucky winners of a Kindle Fire and 5.11 tactical bag, which Whitmarsh proudly rewarded them.

Because attendees were busy through the weekend, few guests had time for leisure activities. A few members brought their spouses, however, who were treated to free guest passes for a number of Chicago attractions, including the Chicago Botanical Gardens and Arlington Racecourse.

In many ways, this meeting was a preview of good things to come. This October, Chicago will play host to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, a much larger gathering that attracts members of the law enforcement community from all over the world. Until then, keep an eye on the Aftermath blog and stay updated on all our travels and special events!

With offices nationwide, Aftermath is always nearby whenever and wherever you need us. Police officers and others are invited to call 877-872-4339 to learn more about biohazard cleaning and crime scene cleanup assistance.