TAMPA, Fla. – In 2020, on the popular TV show Hoarders, Robert Riley’s Bio-One Tampa business cleaned up a messy scene on the first episode of the show’s eleventh season. It was about a woman who hoarded her ill husband’s mansion, then left him. The scene was horrific, the opportunity for Riley was great, but he walked away from further partnership with the series.
He disagreed with the stigma and drama attached to the series because, as he said, “They made a mockery of hoarding, which plenty of us will admit we’ve done at one point or another. It’s about holding on to things we no longer need, creating a toxic living space. It’s quite common.”
Riley was also around when tragedy struck Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub in 2016. With 49 people shot and killed at the scene, Riley’s certified forensic clean-up team was involved with crime and biohazard decontamination services.
When a crisis strikes, most people don’t know where to begin returning to normal. Robert described what to do and expect when any kind of tragedy or biohazardous condition occurs. Riley’s company serves Greater Tampa, Sarasota and Orlando.
“For starters,” he explained, “the scenes we remediate can be overwhelming and dangerous for those involved or who are victims. Sometimes the neighbors say they will pitch in and help, but wherever there is blood, other body fluids, a death or hoarding scene, the exposure to human or animal diseases or environmental toxins can create more trauma. Victims are re-traumatized trying to clean up on their own anyway, so it’s best to leave it for a professional cleaning outfit. We bring biohazard suits, equipment and state-of-the-art technology to ensure a catastrophic scene is back to its original condition and safe for return. We arrive when we get the word from law enforcement or other decision-makers as to when we should get there. We also help with filing an insurance claim. This is the kind of help that people need.”
Riley said property owners or family members select whom they will use. It is not arranged by government, military or law enforcement agencies involved in the incident. Riley said, “It’s important to choose a company who exhibits compassion. Part of that compassion is arriving in unmarked vehicles to protect your privacy. The other part is to exhibit kindness, which my team understands,” Riley said.
Besides crime and hoarding, there are other situations that require certified forensic and biohazard experts to come and clean up. There’s undiscovered death and suicide, and natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes. Poor animal care resulting in urine and feces in living or yard spaces also require professional clean-up protection.
Riley indicated that Bio-One Tampa partners with a broad list of contacts. Among others, they include trusted partnerships with fire and rescue and emergency services personnel, hoarding task forces, apartment associations, and victim services groups. He also collaborates directly with customers’ insurance companies.
On Bio-One Tampa’s website, www.bioonetampa.com, there are resourceful guides to suicide prevention and recognizing hoarding.
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