Death, Crime Scene and Biohazard Cleanup in Thurston County

This page is for anyone in Olympia, Lacey or Tumwater who needs death, crime scene or biohazard cleanup. In Thurston County, biohazard and trauma cleanup is done by private companies that a family, landlord or property manager hires directly; a biohazard is blood, body fluid or other material that could carry disease. When a death is involved, the Thurston County Coroner’s Office¹ acts first, and cleanup starts only after the scene is released. Biohazard Network can connect you with an independent local company, but it does not do the cleanup, and the company you hire is the one that does the work.

If you are reading this after a loss or a hard discovery, you do not need to solve everything today. This page walks through the order of steps in Thurston County, from the coroner to paying for the work, and links to pages for Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater. For the wider region, start at the Puget Sound overview.

Step one: the Thurston County Coroner’s Office

Thurston County has an elected coroner, the official who investigates certain deaths and has authority over the person’s remains. The Thurston County Coroner’s Office¹ investigates sudden, violent, unexpected and suspicious deaths in the county. Washington law, RCW 68.50.010, places deaths like these under the coroner’s jurisdiction, including when someone dies suddenly while in apparent good health with no medical care in the 36 hours before.

For you, this means the coroner and law enforcement control the home until they finish. The point when they hand the property back is called scene release. Please do not clean, move belongings or remove anything before then, and ask the investigator when the release is expected.

You will not be left to guess. Deputy Coroners are in frequent contact with families and can help with questions about the death and next steps toward final arrangements. When you deal with insurers or an estate later, keep in mind that the office says its investigation may help speed insurance claims, Social Security benefits and estate settlements.

The funeral home generates the death certificate, and a physician or the Coroner’s Office¹ signs it. The Coroner’s Office does not hand out copies; you get those from the county health department² or the Washington State Department of Health³ (DOH).

You can reach the Thurston County Coroner’s Office¹ at (360) 867-2140. Its Resources page⁴ lists cleanup firms under the heading “Bio-Hazard Clean-Up Services,” along with funeral homes and support groups. Whether you use that list or this site, you choose and hire the company yourself.

Paying for the work

Homeowners insurance sometimes covers biohazard cleanup, so call your insurer before work begins and ask what the policy includes. When you talk with a cleanup company, ask whether it will work with your insurer and how it expects to be paid.

If the death came from a criminal act, the coroner notes that benefits may be available from the Crime Victims Compensation Program⁵ of the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries⁵ (L&I). Plan on paying for cleanup another way, because the program lists crime scene cleanup among the costs it does not cover. Where it can help is with costs like grief counseling, mental health treatment and funeral expenses, and it pays only after primary insurance. To qualify, a person must have been physically injured or mentally traumatized by a gross misdemeanor or felony in Washington, and the crime must have been reported to law enforcement, with cooperation in the investigation.

When the county health department may matter

The local health department is the Thurston County Public Health & Social Services Department², reachable at 360-867-2500. A few of its programs may apply to your situation.

• Needles and medical waste. Biomedical waste is Washington’s legal term for certain waste, such as discarded blood and sharps; sharps are needles, syringes, lancets and blades. The department runs a Syringe Services Program, and its Unwanted Medications drop-off sites take no sharps or bloody or infectious waste. Ask the cleanup company how it will package and remove anything like this.
• Septic problems. If sewage comes from a home septic system, the Septic Systems program is the place for questions about a failing system.
• Mold. The Mold & Ventilation page, part of the Healthy Homes program, offers information only. It does not take mold complaints or do testing or inspections.
• Outdoor solid waste complaints. The Solid Waste (Garbage) - Compliance program handles complaints about improper accumulation of solid waste on private property in unincorporated Thurston County and the urban growth areas. For a concern inside a city or town, staff contact that jurisdiction or refer the concern. It is not a hoarding program.

Hoarding situations: other local resources

If a person who hoards lives with pets, Joint Animal Services covers Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater and unincorporated Thurston County, and in unincorporated areas it responds to reports of a pet without food, water or shelter or kept in unsanitary conditions. If the person living in the home is an older adult, the Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging has a Thurston County Office you can contact. Before hiring, ask any company how it will involve the person in deciding what to keep and what to let go.

Getting a company to the property

Interstate 5, U.S. 101 and State Route 507 run through the Thurston region. I-5 over the Nisqually River estuary links Thurston and Pierce counties, and local planning efforts address congestion on I-5 between Mounts Road and Tumwater. Ask any company where it is coming from and how it plans around delays.

Downtown Yelm backs up when drivers divert around I-5, which can slow emergency response. In snow, ice or windstorms, the county clears arterials to state highways, hospitals and fire stations first, such as Old Highway 99, Littlerock Road, Martin Way and Yelm Highway. County crews reach residential routes last and do not plow subdivisions or driveways, so in winter weather, tell the company how passable your road and driveway are.

Outside the more urban north county around Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater, residents live in and around the smaller towns of Bucoda, Tenino, Rainier and Yelm and in rural areas. For a rural property, give the company clear directions and mention any gate or long drive.

Cities in Thurston County

Olympia

Olympia is an incorporated city, home to the Washington State Capitol Campus and Percival Landing on Budd Bay. See cleanup in Olympia.

Lacey

Lacey is an incorporated city with Huntamer Park downtown and Long Lake Park on Carpenter Road SE. See cleanup in Lacey.

Tumwater

See cleanup in Tumwater.

After the cleanup

Some homes also need repairs, or water, fire or mold work, once the biohazard cleanup is done. This guide explains how biohazard cleanup fits with water, fire and mold restoration so you know what to ask about next.

Checking a company before you hire

Ask any Thurston County company how its workers follow OSHA’s Bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030 (bloodborne pathogens are germs in blood that can cause disease), and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup from the IICRC, the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, a non-profit for the cleaning and restoration industries. You can also look the business up yourself with L&I’s Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business tool, and the certifications guide explains what each of these means.