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Biohazard and crime scene cleanup referrals for Providence and the cities around it

Guide

When someone dies at home

This guide is for a death that brings the police: one that was sudden, violent, or found after some time. If the person was in hospice care and the death was expected, call the hospice first and follow their instructions.

In order

What happens, step by step

  1. Call 911

    Stay on the phone and follow what the dispatcher says. Leave the person where they are, and leave the room as it is.

  2. Police and the medical examiner

    Officers come first. Deaths from homicide, suicide, accidents and undetermined causes come under the Office of State Medical Examiners, which covers every city and town in Rhode Island (RIDOH).

    There is no county coroner to call. The officers contact the office.

  3. Choosing a funeral home

    If the office performs an autopsy, the family chooses a funeral home or crematory. The office calls the funeral home when the person is ready to be released. Personal items, apart from evidence, go to the funeral home too (RIDOH).

  4. The home is released

    Ask the officers when you can have the home back, and whether anything will stay sealed. Ask for the report number.

  5. Cleanup

    Once the home is released, a cleanup company can assess it. You do not have to decide on the first call.

Numbers to keep

State medical examiner
Office of State Medical Examiners, 900 Highland Corporate Drive, Building 3, Cumberland. 401-222-5500, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (RIDOH)
Providence Police
Non-emergency 401-272-3121 (Providence Police). In an emergency, 911.
Nearby cities
Each city's police number is on its page: East Providence, Pawtucket, Cranston, Warwick, Woonsocket.

People you may need to tell

If the person rented their home, the landlord or manager. If they owned it, the homeowner's insurer. If there was a violent crime, the compensation program has a 15-day police report rule, so make sure a report exists.

Neighbors in the same building may notice an odor before cleanup is done. A short note that the matter is being handled can save some difficult knocks on the door.

Related

When you are ready, one call is enough

You will speak with an independent biohazard cleanup company that works around Providence. Say what happened in your own words, ask what they would do and how they price it, then decide. Nothing is agreed until you say yes.

Speak with an independent cleanup company

Call (401) 498-1593

Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Calls may be recorded. More in the referral disclosure and privacy policy pages.

Call (401) 498-1593