Get Certified in Crime Scene Cleanup.


Amdecon

The Amdecon Crime and Trauma Scene Cleaning Course

26-hours in length—Available on DVD and Online.—Purchase at the bottom of this page.

This is our new fully updated course. It is the most up-to-date course available anywhere in the world.

Now includes information about the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) and the new EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule.

This course also includes all Business and Marketing teachings. We don't charge an additional fee for you to learn how to price jobs, deal with insurance adjusters, obtain supplies, charge for your time, get the word out, who to network with, etc. We teach you everything in this course!

Only animal blood is used in training photos.

This course will teach you every aspect of this industry and it follows all applicable OSHA standards.

Your instructor, Mr. Tillman is the founder of Amdecon, a Certified Safety and Health Official, and OSHA-Authorized Trainer. This means the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has trained and authorized Mr. Tillman to train and certify you. You are being trained at a Federal level.

You will be awarded the following certifications upon completion of the course:

  1. Amdecon 29 CFR Part 1910 Compliant CTS Decon Specialist Course
  2. Bloodborne Pathogens 29 CFR 1910.1030
  3. Respiratory Protection 29 CFR 1910.134
  4. Hazard Communication (HAZCOM) 29 CFR 1910.1200
  5. Personal Protective Equipment 29 CFR 1910.132
  6. Confined Space Awareness 29 CFR 1910.146
  7. Fall Protection Awareness 29 CFR 1910.66 Appendix C
  8. Lock Out/Tag Out Awareness 29 CFR 1910.147


Good teaching is good teaching; no matter how it's done.



These certificates are recognized by the United States Federal Government and are valid in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

They meet the California Health and Safety Code Chapter 9.5, Section 118321, which sets the standards for California Trauma scene waste management practitioners.

They are approved by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) for continuing education credits.

Fortune 500 companies, governmental agencies, and universities have all embraced online and video-driven learning. We believe that our courses give an affordable option to everyone who would like to learn about this industry and give them an opportunity to improve their lives.

Amdecon was started in 1999 when there was no training like this available. We had to figure everything out on our own. We've spent at least a million dollars figuring out how to do this business and we've made a lot of mistakes along the way. You don't need to make these mistakes; there's no need to reinvent the wheel.

Let us teach you everything that has taken us since 1999 to learn. Don't learn things the hard, expensive way; learn things the easy, smart, inexpensive way!

What We Cover In This Course

We will impart a decade of experience to you during this course. We will teach you everything from A to Z; from gathering your initial supplies, to all the OSHA regulations, to performing the work, estimating and pricing jobs, collecting your money, dealing with the families and insurance adjusters and on and on and on.

Having the technical skills to perform proper decontamination is important, but equally as important is having the knowledge to run a decontamination business successfully and stay legally compliant.

The Amdecon Crime and Trauma Scene Cleaning course, whether on DVD or online, helps you understand the science and operational details needed to make critical remediation and administrative decisions. In addition, we cover start-up information like legal structures, licenses, tax requirements, workers compensation, and other legal issues.

The topics of how to charge, how to estimate, and how to get paid are all covered in this course.

Here is a list of just some of the topics covered in this course.

Pricing and Marketing:

  • Pricing jobs
  • Dealing with insurance adjusters
  • Writing estimates
  • Collecting payment
  • How to charge for equipment and supplies
  • You will be able to confidently price a job and collect your money
  • How to market
  • Who to market to

History of the Industry:

  • Explanation and history of Crime and Trauma Scene Decontamination Industry
  • Public Law 91-596 Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard

  • 1910.1030 - Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
  • Explanation of a Written BBP Exposure Control Program
  • Use of the BBP Exposure Control Program template
  • Post-Exposure Evaluation and Follow-up Checklist
  • Instructions for the Evaluating Physician
  • Exposure Incident Investigation Form
  • Post-Exposure Written Opinion Form
  • Hepatitis B Vaccination Written Opinion
  • Declination of Medical Evaluation and Chemoprophylaxis Form

OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard

  • 1910.134 Respiratory Protection Standard
  • Explanation of a Written Respiratory Protection Program
  • Use of the supplied Written respiratory Protection Program template
  • OSHA Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire
  • Fit Testing. What are they and where to get one?

OSHA Hazard Communication Standard

  • 1910.1200 - Hazard Communication Standard
  • Explanation of a Written Hazard Communication Program
  • Use of the supplied Written Hazard Communication Program
  • List of Chemicals
  • Hazard Assessment
  • Material Safety Data Sheets
  • Secondary Container Labels

Miscellaneous OSHA Standards

  • OSHA General Duty Clause
  • Lock Out / Tag Out
  • Confined Spaces
  • Fall Protection
  • OSHA record keeping

Bloodborne Disease Discussion

  • Explanation of Epidemiology and Symptoms of Bloodborne Diseases
  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis B Vaccine
  • No cost vaccination
  • Efficacy
  • Safety
  • Method of administration of Hepatitis Vaccination
  • Benefits of vaccination
  • Hepatitis C
  • Hepatitis D
  • Hepatitis E
  • Hepatitis G
  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV1 & HIV2)
  • Human T-Lymphotropic Virus I

Airborne Disease Discussion

  • General Explanation of Epidemiology and Symptoms of Airborne Pathogens
  • Tuberculosis
  • Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
  • Histoplasmosis

Mental Health Discussion

  • Mental Health Issues
  • CISS - Critical Incident Stress Syndrome
  • STSD - Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Traumatic Grief

How to perform CTS Decon work at the scene

Contamination versus cross contamination

Cross Contamination Exercise

Personal Protective Equipment Discussion

  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  • Levels
  • Types
  • Basis For Selection
  • When PPE is necessary?
  • Which PPE is necessary?
  • Types of respirators: half mask, full face, SCBA, cartridge, SAR, & filtering facepiece
  • Proper use
  • Donning
  • Doffing
  • Adjusting
  • Wearing
  • Handling
  • Disposal of PPE

Tools, Equipment Discussion

Tools of the trade

First Aid Kit

Emergency Eyewash

Hand Washing

OSHA Compliancy papers, DOT, & EPA

Uniforms

Dress Code

Definitions and differences of sanitize, disinfect and sterilize

Chemicals and supplies

Job Descriptions

  • Technician
  • Field Supervisor
  • Clean Tech and Dirty Tech

Arrival at scene

  • Behavior
  • Appearance
  • Hygiene
  • Analyze Scene
  • Estimating
  • Scene protocols

Photographing scenes - pros and cons

What to do when you find evidence

What to do when you find weapons

What to do when you find drugs

Scene Descriptions

We'll teach you OSHA regulations in plain language so you will understand why they apply to this industry and how you can be fully OSHA-compliant.

We will also teach you what equipment, cleaning supplies, deodorization techniques, and disinfectants we use and where to get them.

We'll teach you about disease transference and the biological dangers associated with this work.

We'll teach you how to deal with insurance adjustors and grieving families. You will learn how to estimate jobs, and how to market and network. You'll learn about getting the work, how to charge for your time, performing the work, and getting paid!

Learn exactly what we do and the techniques and procedures we follow. Learn how we remediate a scene. Learn what to do when you find critical evidence.

Learn why having the technical skills to perform proper decontamination is important, and learn why having the knowledge to run a decontamination business successfully and stay legally compliant is equally as important.

This course helps you understand the science and operational details needed to make critical remediation and administrative decisions. In addition, I cover start-up information like legal structures, licenses, tax requirements, workers compensation, and other legal issues.

To make sure you are well-armed to grow your business, this course covers marketing and advertising. We show you how to create invoices, and how to obtain insurance.

Learn how to select and outfit a vehicle. We discuss in detail job pricing, and how to charge, how to estimate, and how to get paid.

Hands-On Training

So what about hands on? Here's what we have to say about that:

If Mr. Tillman called you up and said,

"I have a shotgun suicide to go to and I want you to come with me.

You're going to stand right next to me for the entire job from the beginning to the end.

I'm going to tell you what we're going to do, why we're going to do it, and then we'll do it right before your eyes so that you can see everything in fine detail.

I'll take my time and teach you everything, step by step. When we're done you'll know everything I know about working a scene from beginning to end!"

You'd think that was a once in a lifetime opportunity, wouldn't you?

You'd drop everything you were doing to jump at this offer, wouldn't you?

Well, our training is no different than that. The only thing you don't have to do is get all hot and sweaty!

We learn with our eyes, ears, and mind.

Don't believe the myth that says we only learn by doing it with our hands. That myth was created 50 years ago before we had the technology of today.

Do you really need to block a week out of your life, fly cross country, get a hotel, get a rental car and drive to a building just to put on a suit and be shown how to use a sponge? Of course not!

When you are ready for it we will assist you via email and phone support in setting up your own hands-on trauma scene mock-up rooms using real blood and tissue if you wish.

You will be taught how to work a scene from beginning to end; everything from A to Z. Some (but not all) of the things you will learn about working a scene are listed below:

  • How to work a scene from beginning to end
  • Assessing the room and doing a visual inspection
  • Clearing a work path
  • Initial bulk cleanup
  • Using a GFCI pigtail
  • Working with a wet/dry HEPA vacuum
  • How to deal with contaminated furniture
  • How to deal with ceramic tile
  • How to deal with carpet and carpet padding
  • How to deal with hardwood floors
  • How to deal with resilient flooring
  • How to deal with evidence
  • How to deal with evidence tape
  • How to deal with computers
  • How to deal with artwork (bag and tag)
  • How to deal with clothing
  • How to deal with personal effects
  • Breaking down and dismantling furniture
  • Kevlar gloves and sleeves
  • Cooling vests and devices
  • Working with spitballs and enzymes
  • Removing brain tissue
  • Dealing with dried blood
  • Dealing with wet blood
  • Dealing with gelled blood (blood clots)
  • Dealing with fingerprint dust
  • Dealing with light fixtures
  • How to find "hollow" tiles
  • The dangers of tack strip
  • Dealing with baseboards
  • Using "two sets of eyes"
  • Double checking each others work
  • Sealers to use on visual stains

BEWARE: There is a website on the internet that claims OSHA requires hands-on training for crime scene cleanup. This is not true.

The fact that someone would intentionally mislead you bothers us here at Amdecon so let's take a moment to discuss it. Let's look at the facts :

When you call them you will speak with David O. What he won't tell you is that he went though the Amdecon training course in 2005 then proceeded to go back home and start calling himself a trainer and later opened a "training center."

This is what is says on their website: "Click here to Read about OSHA Regulations and Standards regarding Training! "BEWARE" - There are numerous Mis-Conceptions about the other So Called Training Materials that are being offered such as DVD's. CD's, Books, etc. OSHA Regs/Standards!"

(Note: The paragraph above is a direct quote from their website. All bad grammar and poor punctuation is theirs, not Amdecon's).

I suggest you follow their link and see the "documentation" they provide. You will find the Hazardous Materials Standard Number: 1910.120 App E.

Click here to read this for yourself on OSHA's web site.

There are two problems with their claim that OSHA requires hands-on training for crime scene cleanup. They are:

Problem number 1) If you will read the scope of the standard (below) you will see that crime scene cleanup does not fall under any of the operations covered. Here is the scope of the standard.

Scope, application, and definitions.

1910.120(a)(1)

Scope. This section covers the following operations, unless the employer can demonstrate that the operation does not involve employee exposure or the reasonable possibility for employee exposure to safety or health hazards:

1910.120(a)(1)(i)

Clean-up operations required by a governmental body, whether Federal, state local or other involving hazardous substances that are conducted at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites (including, but not limited to, the EPA's National Priority Site List (NPL), state priority site lists, sites recommended for the EPA NPL, and initial investigations of government identified sites which are conducted before the presence or absence of hazardous substances has been ascertained);

1910.120(a)(1)(ii)

Corrective actions involving clean-up operations at sites covered by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) as amended (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq);

1910.120(a)(1)(iii)

Voluntary clean-up operations at sites recognized by Federal, state, local or other governmental bodies as uncontrolled hazardous waste sites;

1910.120(a)(1)(iv)

Operations involving hazardous waste that are conducted at treatment, storage, disposal (TSD) facilities regulated by 40 CFR Parts 264 and 265 pursuant to RCRA; or by agencies under agreement with U.S.E.P.A. to implement RCRA regulations; and

1910.120(a)(1)(v)

Emergency response operations for releases of, or substantial threats of releases of, hazardous substances without regard to the location of the hazard."

Crime scene cleanup does not fall within any of the operations listed above.

Problem number 2) The title of that standard is "Training Curriculum Guidelines - (Non-mandatory)." Note the non-mandatory part; do you know what that means? It means just what it says: It's non-mandatory.

Click here to read this for yourself on OSHA's web site. Look for the line at the beginning of the document that reads: Title: Training Curriculum Guidelines - (Non-mandatory).

So the people who run that website are claiming that OSHA requires hands-on training but they are quoting a non-mandatory standard. This is another example of people intentionally misquoting OSHA regulations.

Why would they intentionally mislead you?

It's plain and simple; they want you to pay them $5,000.00 to attend their course instead of spending a small fraction of that to take our course.

Do you really want to give a company thousands of dollars when they intentionally mislead you like that? We wouldn't either.

OK, enough about that stuff. Let's get back to all the good stuff about the Amdecon training program.

Class Questions

You might be saying to yourself, "What if I have a question? It's not like I can raise my hand and get an answer."

Believe us, we have trained students in 20 different countries and all the students had the same questions in every single class. All of your questions will be answered if you just take the course as designed. All we ask is that you jot down your questions as they come to you and continue studying the course. Typically you will find that when a question pops up in your mind it's getting ready to be answered if you'll just continue studying the course. Your questions will be answered.

But what happens if you really do come up with a question that has never been asked before? It's easy: You email or call us and we'll discuss it. We are available to you and it's really just that simple.

"But, how do I follow along with the class?" This course includes the files to print out our textbook, which is synchronized with the training videos.

When the instructor says, "Turn to page 95," you simply turn to page 95 in the textbook that you printed out and you're right there in class with everyone else. Why waste our natural resources, add to global warming, and pay shipping charges to have a textbook shipped to you when you can simply print one out at your home or office? You will feel just like you're in the class reading the textbook and hearing everything everyone is saying. Because we don't have to print the textbooks and ship them to you we can offer our course at a lower price.

How the Courses Work

Purchase a course.

Print the textbook. (Files are included.)

Study the classroom and hands-on videos.

Take (write) the on-line exam.

Upon passing the exam you are emailed eight high-resolution certificates. Because some people have test anxiety and make silly mistakes when taking an exam you are allowed to take (write) the exam a second time at no additional charge if you do not pass the first time. Remember, we are here to educate you, not fail you.

People ask, "What is the difference between the DVD course and the online course?" The only difference is the delivery method.

Some people are comfortable with computers and the internet so they purchase the online course because the want to get started immediately.

Some people purchase the DVD because they might live in an area where their internet connection isn't very good and they don't mind waiting for the DVD to be shipped to them.

Which ever delivery method you choose you are assured to be receiving great world-class training.

Final Thoughts

If you are serious about this it's time to get started. It's time to quit "thinking about it." It's time to stop "doing research." And it's time to quit telling all your friends, "SOMEDAY I'm going to be a crime scene cleaner." It's time to do it.

There are two kinds of people in this world; talkers and doers. Which one are you?

TWO IMPORTANT NOTES:

1) Our DVD program is for use on a computer, not a DVD player.

2) We have people ask if multiple people can be trained off of one course as long as they each buy an exam. The answer is no.

Purchasing one of our training courses is just like registering for any traditional sit-down class: Each person is required to pay for the course they are going to attend.

Each person that is seeking certification requires their own training course.

Click here to purchase the DVD course.
$495.00 + shipping and handling and the exam is included.

Click here to purchase the Online Course.
$395.00 and the exam is included.



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