The History of AMDECON | Crime Scene & Decontamination Training

AMDECON is a world-recognized leader in crime scene cleanup, biohazard remediation, and decontamination training. What began as a mission to help families in crisis has evolved into one of the most trusted crime scene cleanup training organizations in the world.

How AMDECON Was Founded

In the summer of 1999, Michael J. Tillman read a Dallas Morning News article describing volunteers who cleaned homicide, suicide, and unattended death scenes so grieving families would not have to. Like most people, Mr. Tillman had never considered what happens after authorities leave a traumatic scene.

He was struck by the injustice of families being left with the emotional and physical burden of cleaning up after tragedy. Determined to help, he founded AMECON with a single purpose: to provide professional, compassionate crime scene cleanup services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Founded by Michael J. Tillman

Michael J. Tillman built AMDECON on principles of compassion, professionalism, and safety. From the beginning, the company specialized exclusively in crime scene cleanup and biohazard decontamination, ensuring families were protected from dangerous pathogens and traumatic exposure.

This focus quickly positioned AMDECON as an industry leader in a field few understood—but many desperately needed.

Growth as a National Crime Scene Cleanup Company

Between 1999 and 2004, AMDECON expanded rapidly, opening branch offices across the United States. During this time, the company handled thousands of cases, including:

  • Suicides and homicides
  • Murder-suicides
  • Unattended deaths and decomposition scenes
  • Industrial fatalities and accidents

AMDECON provided crime scene cleanup services from California to New York, earning a national reputation for reliability, discretion, and technical excellence.

Trusted by Families, Corporations, and Insurance Providers

As AMDECON grew, so did its client base. The company proudly served:

  • Thousands of families nationwide
  • Fortune 500 companies
  • Major railways and international airports
  • Municipalities and government agencies
  • All major insurance carriers

This trust reinforced AMDECON’s position as a premier biohazard cleanup and decontamination company in the United States.

World’s First Crime Scene Cleanup Training Center

As the industry matured, professionals began asking how they could enter the field or become certified crime scene cleanup technicians. In response, AMDECON held its first public training class in 2004.

That same year, AMDECON made history by opening the world’s first crime scene cleanup training center, offering the first-ever 5-day biorecovery technician training course.

Crime Scene Cleanup, Meth Lab, and Hoarding Certification

Under the instruction of Michael J. Tillman—one of the founding fathers of the American Decontamination Industry—students could now receive professional training and certification in:

  • Crime scene cleanup
  • Meth lab decontamination
  • Hoarding cleanup
  • Biohazard remediation

What started as AMDECON services has evolved into AMDECON training.

Not sure how to pronounce AMDECON? Just think of it as an acronym for American decontamination since we began as a decontamination service company in the United States.

This course was very successful and students from around the world came to learn from us and benefit from our years of experience, our OSHA credentials, and our successful business model.

But we still had people calling saying they wanted to be trained only by Mr. Tillman, but for various reasons couldn’t attend. They either couldn’t afford the expenses (air fare, hotel, rental car, eating out every night) and the class tuition, or they just could not take the time off to attend, but they had to be trained by Mr. Tillman as they believed he was the best trainer in the industry.

Pioneer of Online Crime Scene Cleanup Training

Although demand for in-person training was high, many prospective students were unable to attend due to travel costs, time constraints, or personal obligations. Recognizing this gap, AMDECON once again led the industry.

In 2007, Michael J. Tillman created the world’s first distance-learning crime scene cleanup certification program, delivered via DVD. For the first time in history, individuals could become certified crime scene cleaners through remote learning.

This innovation laid the foundation for today’s online training programs.

What AMDECON Specializes in Today

Today, AMDECON focuses exclusively on online training and certification, offering comprehensive courses in:

  • Crime scene cleaning certification
  • Hoarder house cleanup training
  • Meth lab cleanup and decontamination training

Our programs are designed to be practical, affordable, and accessible—allowing students around the world to enter a financially and emotionally rewarding industry.

All courses are designed to be accessible, industry-relevant, and taught by pioneers of the decontamination field.

This is a very rewarding industry both emotionally and financially. Whether your motives are altruistic or merely financial everyone can benefit from our online certification programs. We are helping thousands of people improve their lives by teaching them how to own and run their own successful decontamination company. This has made a profound difference for many people who were devastated in the recent economic depression and needed to find other ways to support their families.

Explore our online decontamination training courses to find the certification that fits your goals.

Industry Leadership and Global Impact

Michael J. Tillman has since retired from field work and now dedicates his full efforts to training the next generation of professionals. What began as a one-man operation has grown into a world-renowned training organization.

To date, AMDECON has:

  • Trained over 4,000 students
  • Reached learners in 28+ countries
  • Helped thousands launch successful decontamination businesses

Graduates of our programs are making a meaningful difference in their communities while building sustainable, profitable careers.

Learn From the Leaders in Decontamination Training

Whether your motivation is altruistic, professional, or financial, AMDECON’s online certification programs provide the knowledge, credibility, and confidence needed to succeed in the decontamination industry.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about AMDECON. We look forward to working with you—now and in the future—to support your crime scene cleanup and decontamination training needs.