Aftermath Services Highlights the Best of 2015

Aftermath was founded on the premise that we care about the communities where we live and work, that we are concerned about the safety of the people in those communities, and that assisting them goes beyond simply providing a service, but also includes sharing our knowledge with those we help. This year, Aftermath drew heavily upon these pillars by implementing programs, outreach, and contests designed to reaffirm our commitment to the families we serve all around the US.

Here is a look back on some of our highlights from 2015:

Safety

One of the most widely known and effective means to control the spread of disease is the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). As the nationwide leader in the biohazard remediation and crime scene cleanup industry, Aftermath understands the need for safety on the job. To share our message of safety with professionals in other industries, Aftermath sponsored two PPE Giveaways this year, receiving entries from law enforcement officials around the country. Over 125 prizes were given away this year alone. Grand prize winners received a full PPE kit and a 5-11 tactical bag, while others received their own personal PPE kit. March winners included the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Hayward Police Department, Southbridge Police Department, Butte County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of La Porte. The most recent contest is still going on, so get your entry in today! December’s winners will be announced after the New Year, so stay tuned.

This fall brought a great deal of excitement as Aftermath hosted our biggest and most popular contest of the year: the Aftermath K9 Contest. The yearly event is open to all law enforcement agencies with K9 units. Though this was the fourth year for the event, it was the first time the community was also encouraged to get involved and vote for their local department. Tens of thousands of votes were received from across the country, leading to a heated race for the finish. In November, Aftermath Services presented the Illinois Lake County Sheriff’s K9 Unit with a $5,000 grant. Additionally, we also awarded our second place winner, the Colorado Longmont Police Department, with a grant of $1,000.

During the meet-and-greet, Lake County Undersheriff Ray Rose proudly accepted the check from Aftermath CEO Doug Berto, and several members of the local K9 unit were on hand to pose for photos with the Aftermath team, including K9s Dax and Diesel, and their handlers, Deputies John Forlenza and Craig Sommerville. The head of the K9 unit, Sergeant James McKinney, credits Sheriff’s Office employee Ant Simonian with being instrumental in encouraging the office and community to participate and vote for the unit. Sergeant McKinney reported that funds from the contest would be used to provide lifesaving vests for the dogs. They also hope to invest in a new technology which aids in detecting heat stroke, which can be deadly to hard working dogs.

Aftermath also dedicated much time and effort into advancing our educational initiative in 2015. In addition to attending informative conferences targeting insurance and law enforcement agents, we also sought to bring our message of safety to the general public by hosting our first ever $1,000 Scholarship and Essay Contest. The annual contest awarded two students $1,000 grants toward their education. The contest was open to those enrolled or planning to attend an institute of higher learning. All majors were welcomed. In addition to meeting the basic criteria, participants were asked to write an essay explaining the importance of professionalism and commitment to excellence in the workplace, and suggest why the two traits might be of particular importance in the field of crime scene cleanup and biohazard remediation.

After deliberating over the 800+ entries received, Aftermath Services announced the two recipients of the $1000 award: Christina Hubred, a dental hygienist and dentistry student from Oak Grove, MN, and Allentown, PA student Harmony Mohr, a major in the field of neuroscience. Both students were featured in one of our summer blogs, where they discussed their educational goals and the importance of safety and proper biohazard remediation in their respective professions.

Community

This summer, Aftermath employees across the nation participated in numerous local and community-sponsored activities, including nationwide events like National Night Out and Red Nose Day. We also saw the launch of our $2,500 Community Project and Charity Giveaway Project, an exciting contest which brought together law enforcement and community agencies focused on making their neighborhoods a better place. Officers were encouraged to enter the drawing, which allowed the winner to select their department’s favorite charity to be the recipient of the $2,500 award. The winner, Detective James Murray of the Spencer, Massachusetts Police Department, nominated the Mary Queen of the Rosary Food Pantry, non-denominational food pantry located in the basement of the Mary Queen of the Rosary Church in Spencer, Massachusetts, as the recipient of the $2500 prize.

In 2016 and Beyond…

With 2015 now behind us, Aftermath is looking forward to a new year of opportunity. Our PPE Awareness Campaign will kick off in March, and a new scholarship contest begins in April. We’ll also be sponsoring localized contests and awareness campaigns, designed to address the needs of individual communities.

In the meantime, stay up to date with all the events at Aftermath and learn more about biohazard cleanup by joining in the conversation on Facebook or Twitter.