Randy Anderson, a mitigation supervisor with FireDEX of Butler, cleans up a room in a New Castle home that was heavily damaged by fire. Restoration companies are often called by insurance companies to help make homes livable again.

After a fire's been extinguished, a flood has subsided or the scene of some traumatic event has been cleared out, someone has to clean up — and that someone is not an average janitor.

Disaster restoration services like FireDEX of Butler respond to calls from insurance companies to clean up after fires, floods, mold and even death.

According to Bill Graham, FireDEX operations manager, the job can be hard for those involved because, no matter where they are working, a disaster has occurred.

After a flood, whether from rain or broken pipes, a cleanup crew's first priority is to dry everything in the affected area. Workers also have to establish whether sewage is present in the flooded area. Often the crews can save much of the flooring, carpet and walls if they can dry the area fast enough with dehumidifiers and fans.

"We attempt to save everything,"Graham said.

Workers keep safety gear with them to be ready for any situation. The gear includes respirators, waders and gloves. In some cases, workers have to wear disposable full body suits.

After drying everything, the workers have to wipe, clean and sanitize all items.

The greatest concern with structure fires is smoke. Graham said workers always wear respirators in fire-damaged buildings.

"We have to make sure all the smoke is gone. Smoke travels in all corners and crevices. You have to eliminate all odor," Graham said.

Anything charred or burned has to be removed and thrown away, Graham said. As a final step, workers use organic and citrus sprays.After a fire or flood cleanup is complete, any dishes or other items are taken to the FireDEX facility to be washed and sanitized.In the case of a crime, accident scene or any situation in which someone has died, biohazards are the biggest issue, he said.In those instances, workers wear disposable body suits.The cleanup company must package everything that has come into contact with a body or body fluid. The packages are then given to a licensed biohazard removal service that disposes of them by incineration or other means.Odor is another big issue. Workers have to seal off the area to prevent the smell from spreading, and they also use air scrubbers with Hepa filters and fans.Though it is nearly impossible to be prepared for every type of disaster, Graham advises the public to at least know what services are available to help. He said that much stress can be avoided if business owners and homeowners call a disaster restoration company when something happens.Even if a small fire is simply extinguished with water, that area can turn to mold and lead to contamination, if it isn't properly restored."It can really help avoid problems down the road," Graham said.

Randy Anderson, a mitigation supervisor with FireDEX of Butler, cleans up at a New Castle home where a fire occurred. Restoration services are called after disaster strikes.