Aftermath Reviews the 2016 Oregon Homicide Investigators Conference

As a part of our mission to educate the public on proper biohazard cleanup, Aftermath reviews many of the conferences and other events we attend that are of a concern to our industry. Professionals in law enforcement, insurance, and death care continually turn to Aftermath for information on PPE, crime scene cleaning, and similar topics. Furthermore, our participation at these events are another way we show support for our partners, who are equally concerned and involved in the health and well-being of their communities.

West Coast Bound

Last week, the Oregon Homicide Investigators Association (OHIA) hosted their 2016 Major Crimes Conference. The yearly event took place at The Riverhouse on the Deschutes River, located in Bend, Oregon.  According to the association’s website, OHIA is a “non-profit educational corporation dedicated to improving investigative and prosecution outcomes in murders, serious assaults, and missing persons investigations. OHIA is committed to providing resources, networking and training opportunities to investigators throughout the State of Oregon.”

The conference is in its 8th year, but it was the first year Aftermath attended. Representing the company was National Director of Business Development, Stephen Brown. Brown serves as a main point of contact to the Oregon market. “We have received more and more calls to service families in the Oregon market,” he explained. “Therefore it made sense to support the OHIA event this year and make sure that Detectives in Oregon are aware of our services and how we respond to families in Oregon.”

Welcome to Bend, Oregon!

The conference included case study presentations, guest speakers, and a vendor’s area, plus social events, networking opportunities, and even a pre-conference golf tournament. Stephen told us a bit more about the town after his trip: “Bend is quite remarkable. Lots of attendees were in town early for the golf tournament, and during the conference they visited many of the local craft breweries and great restaurants. Some also took advantage of hiking trails in the areas.” As for the show, Stephen described it as very positive; it was also the largest attendance to date for the conference. Attendees were interested in learning more about the featured topics as well as services offered by Aftermath. “I had many interesting conversations throughout the event,” Stephen reported.

The most common questions Stephen received centered around where we dispatch from to service customers in Oregon. “We dispatch from either our Northern California or Southern Washington locations, depending on crew available, distance and the response time. We can typically reach Oregon customers the same day (within 12 hours).” Other questions concerned how Aftermath assists customers with the claims process, how we perform cleanups, and (of course!) our annual K9 Grant, which began last Friday.

Excitement Online and At the Show

At the booth, Stephen showed the new K9 Youtube spot to attendees. The short video features last year’s winners of the K9 Grant, Dax, Diesel, and Duke from the Illinois Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Stephen also gave away a 5.11 tactical bag with PPE kit. The winner was Detective James McLaughlin from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

Stephen relates: “OHIA was a well-attended conference that will certainly help us continue to better serve families in Oregon. Especially in today’s climate, many Detectives expressed their gratitude for our support and commitment to Law Enforcement programs. That was the most rewarding part of the conference for me.”

If you are a member of law enforcement and are interested in learning more about biohazard cleanup in your area, check out our special webpage for officers. If you are in need of cleaning services, contact us 24/7 at our natiowide hotline, 877-696-5258.