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It's a gruesome job, but somebody has to do it. For almost every crime, there's a mess left behind - often in someone's home. That's where Mark Fagala and Travis Mahaffey step in. Fagala is the owner of Gastonia-based Fagala Mortuary and Biohazard Specialists, which specializes in cleaning up crime scenes. Mahaffey, his cousin, operates the Greensboro office. The company has three offices throughout the Carolinas. Staff writer Ryan Seals sat down with the duo to find out more about their work.

Q. How did you get your start in the crime scene cleaning business?

A. Fagala: When I was 17, I was a junior life saver on a local rescue squad. I was also a firefighter and met the local coroner, and he gave me a part-time job transporting bodies. From there, it went on to a part-time job at the local funeral home. I went to mortuary college, biohazard college and all of it together gave me what I needed to go forward with crime scene cleanup in 1988.

Q. What type of training is involved in this kind of work?

A. Fagala: I have training through the American Bio-Recovery Association. I always tell folks who call and ask us, "Well, how much is this going to cost?" But your questions need to be, "What are your certifications and credentials?"

Q. How much do you typically charge?

A. Fagala: A normal range is $2,500 to $6,000. I've had jobs up to $15,000, but that's where we've gone in and replaced floors. Not us personally, but we sometimes contract some things out.

Q. What types of crime scenes do you work and what is the most difficult to clean up?

A. Fagala: Anything involving a shotgun to the head is bad or a decomposing body. We have our respirators on, but you can still smell a little bit.

Q. Have you ever come across any evidence you've had to notify police about?

A. Fagala: Sometimes, for instance bullets or projectiles in sub floors. We are trained in evidence recovery, and if we come across stuff like that, everything stops and the police are called back out. They recover their evidence, and we continue our cleaning.

Q. What types of precautions do you have to take to protect yourselves?

A. Fagala: The standard shots and the protective equipment we wear that range from (protective) suits, rubber boots, gloves, respirators, hoods. There's not a part of our bodies that isn't covered.

Q. Is there anything you can't smell after doing this for so long?

A. Fagala: There's not a smell I can't stand. If we can't do it, who can? We are the last resort. After law enforcement and other authorities come out of the house almost vomiting, we are the only ones left.

Mahaffey: A burned body is something you never forget. I wouldn't say it gets to me, but it's a smell you never forget.

Q. You see the worst in society every day, how do you get over that when you go home?

A. Fagala: Our families. Good wives. Our children. You separate yourself from work, and you go home and appreciate what we have. When we are called back to duty, you turn the switch and go back to professional mode. When I go to bed at night, I know what I'm going to see the next morning. It's my life.

Mahaffey: The job we are doing almost brings a type of closure to the situation. It doesn't make it any better, but it makes you feel good that you are helping out in a bad situation. This job teaches you a sense of realism, and it keeps you down to earth.

Q. What happens to the waste from cleanup?

A. Fagala: Waste is highly regulated. We have to bag it up, box it up and contain it, and call for a contractor to come out and pick it up. We have to have a manifest for laws and regulations to keep on file. A mattress or couch, we would cut out the contaminated part and bag and box it. The rest is general waste that goes out to the landfill.

Q. Am I correct in assuming that a dirty diaper is not a challenge?

A. Fagala: You might say that. I have a 12- and a 10-year-old, and I'll have another one here in four months. I don't really remember. It's been some time since I've changed a dirty diaper, but I'll find out.

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com