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Biohazard CleanupYakima

Yakima, Washington and nearby towns

Biohazard and crime scene cleanup in Yakima

After a death, a crime or a serious injury at home, at work or in a car, the cleanup should not fall to you. Call this number and talk to an independent biohazard cleanup company that works in Yakima and the towns around it.

Call (509) 555-0106

Phones staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

  • Houses, apartments, businesses and vehicles
  • An independent company does the work
  • You decide whether to hire them
Two workers in white coveralls and respirators carry a sealed red box down the steps of a ranch house
Illustration only, not a real job.

If it has just happened

Four things, in this order

  1. Call 911 first

    If someone is hurt, or you have found someone who has died, 911 comes before anything else. SunComm, the county's 911 center, sends police and medical help.

  2. Leave the room as it is

    Close the door and keep children and pets out. In Washington, moving or disturbing a person's remains without the coroner's say-so is a crime (RCW 68.50.050), so wait for them.

  3. Let the police and the coroner finish

    The officers on scene and the Yakima County Coroner decide when the home or vehicle is released. Ask them for a case number before they leave.

  4. Then call about the cleanup

    Once the place is released, call this number. There is no deadline. If you need a night away first, take it.

What happened

Pick the situation closest to yours

Each page covers what the cleanup involves, what to leave alone and what to ask on the phone.

The phone call

What to expect when you call

You talk to an independent bio hazard cleanup company that works in the Yakima area. Tell them what happened in plain words, which rooms or which vehicle, and whether you own or rent.

They will explain how they would approach it and how they set a price. Ask what will have to be removed, how long the room will be closed, and whether they will document the work with photos.

You can hang up and think it over. Nothing is booked until you agree to it.

Call (509) 555-0106

A woman at a kitchen table talks on the phone with a notepad and a mug in front of her

Good to know in Yakima County

Local offices and one hard fact

The coroner

The Yakima County Coroner is at 128 N 2nd Street in Yakima, phone (509) 574-1610.

The office investigates sudden, unexpected and violent deaths. Questions about when the person will be released, or about personal belongings, go to them.

Police, when it isn't urgent

Yakima Police Department's non-emergency number is (509) 575-6200. Outside city limits, the Sheriff’s Office takes non-emergency calls at (509) 574-2500, ext. 0.

State compensation will not pay for cleanup

Washington's Crime Victims Compensation Program lists crime scene cleanup among the things it does not pay for. After a crime, it may still help with funeral costs and counseling.

Faith and customs

If your family follows religious customs around death and burial, tell the coroner's staff. State law asks the coroner to consider them when deciding how long to keep the person (RCW 68.50.050).

Where

Yakima and the towns around it

All of Yakima, from downtown to the West Valley, plus these nearby places.

See the whole service area

Questions people ask first

Will someone answer in the middle of the night?

Yes. The phone is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can call when the police leave, whatever the hour.

Is this the same as a funeral home?

No. The funeral home takes care of the person. A biohazard cleanup company deals with the room, the furniture or the vehicle afterward. Most families need both, and the two do not depend on each other.

Do I have to be there while the work is done?

Usually not for all of it. Someone with authority over the property has to let the company in and agree to the work. Many families hand over a key and stay with relatives.

Can I just clean it myself?

Small spots of blood on a hard floor can be handled with gloves and disinfectant. Anything that has soaked into carpet, a mattress, drywall or a car seat is different: blood can carry disease, and Washington requires employers to train and protect workers who handle it.

Yakima and the valley around it

Nobody in the family has to clean this

An independent cleanup company can take it from here once the police and the coroner are done. Asking questions on the phone commits you to nothing.

When you are ready to talk

Say what happened, where it is and who owns the property. The company explains what it would do. You decide whether to go ahead.

Call (509) 555-0106

Phones staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure and the privacy policy.

Call (509) 555-0106