The First Hour: What to Do Immediately
When you discover that someone has died at home in Toledo, the first steps matter — both for legal reasons and for the safety of everyone in the home.
Step 1: Call 911
If the death was unexpected or the person was not under hospice care, call 911 immediately. Do not move the body. Do not clean anything. Toledo Police, Lucas County Sheriff, or the responding agency will arrive, and the Lucas County Coroner's Office will be involved if the death was unattended, sudden, or suspicious.
Step 2: If the Death Was Expected (Hospice)
If the person was under hospice care and the death was expected, do not call 911. Call the hospice provider directly. Hospice will handle the pronouncement of death and the initial notifications. This is one of the few situations where a coroner is not involved.
Step 3: Do Not Clean the Scene
This is the most important practical step in this entire checklist: do not clean up the area where the death occurred. Do not touch blood, bodily fluids, or any materials near the body. There are two reasons:
- Health risk — Blood and bodily fluids can carry bloodborne pathogens including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV. These survive on surfaces for days to weeks.
- Investigation integrity — If the death is being investigated by the coroner or police, cleaning the scene can interfere with that investigation. Wait until authorities release the scene.
The First 24 Hours: Notifications and Decisions
Step 4: Notify Family and Close Contacts
Once authorities have been called and the immediate situation is stable, notify immediate family. Designate one person as the point of contact to handle notifications so you're not repeating the same conversation endlessly.
Step 5: Contact a Funeral Home
Toledo-area funeral homes will arrange transport of the body once authorities release it. You do not have to decide on all arrangements immediately — you simply need to choose a funeral home to handle the initial transport and hold the remains until arrangements are made.
Step 6: Secure the Property
If the death occurred in a residence and the scene has been released by authorities, secure the property. If the home will be unoccupied, lock doors and windows. If biohazard conditions exist (blood, decomposition, bodily fluids), restrict access to the affected area — do not allow family members, friends, or children to enter.
The Days That Follow: Cleanup and Restoration
Step 7: Arrange Professional Biohazard Cleanup
If the death produced any blood, bodily fluids, or decomposition — whether a trauma, a suicide, a homicide, or an unattended death discovered after some time — the property requires professional biohazard cleanup. This is not optional, and it is not something family members should attempt.
- Trauma and suicide cleanup requires professional trauma scene remediation following OSHA bloodborne pathogen protocols.
- Unattended or undiscovered death requires professional decomposition cleanup that addresses fluids that have penetrated flooring, subflooring, and drywall.
- Homicide cleanup requires full crime scene cleanup coordinated with law enforcement release of the scene.
Ohio does not require property owners to use a professional for biohazard cleanup by statute, but OSHA regulations effectively require it: anyone cleaning blood or bodily fluids must be trained in bloodborne pathogen safety, wear appropriate PPE, and follow proper disposal protocols. Family members attempting cleanup face serious health risk and emotional trauma.
Step 8: Understand Insurance Coverage
Most homeowners insurance policies cover biohazard and crime scene cleanup when the death occurred on the insured property. 911 Bio Cleaners works directly with all major Ohio insurance carriers, handles all claims documentation, and bills your insurer directly — minimizing your out-of-pocket costs during an already difficult time.
Step 9: Obtain Documentation
For property records, future sale of the home, and insurance, obtain:
- A certificate of decontamination from the cleanup company
- Before and after photographs of the remediation
- Waste manifests confirming proper biohazard disposal
- A copy of the coroner's report (available through the Lucas County Coroner's Office or your county's equivalent)
If you plan to sell the home after a death, Ohio disclosure laws may require you to disclose the death and provide evidence of professional remediation. Having this documentation protects you.
Practical Decisions You Don't Have to Make Alone
You do not have to coordinate cleanup yourself during grief. 911 Bio Cleaners handles the entire process: assessment, containment, biohazard removal, decontamination, odor elimination, and documentation — with discretion and compassion. We work with your insurance company directly. We use unmarked vehicles. We are available 24/7.
A Quick Reference Checklist
- Call 911 (if death was unexpected) or hospice (if expected)
- Do not move the body or clean the scene
- Wait for authorities to release the scene
- Notify immediate family (designate one point of contact)
- Contact a funeral home for transport
- Secure the property and restrict access to affected areas
- Call 911 Bio Cleaners at (844) 393-2902 for biohazard cleanup
- Notify your homeowners insurance company
- Obtain certificate of decontamination and documentation
- Request the coroner's report for your records
If someone has died in your home in Toledo, Sylvania, Perrysburg, Maumee, or anywhere in Northwest Ohio, call 911 Bio Cleaners at (844) 393-2902. We respond within 1–2 hours, 24 hours a day, and we handle the cleanup so you don't have to.
