September 2025 – Since 2021, CBI has partnered with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (DMHHS) Encampment Response Team and the Department of Public Works (DPW). Our expert services have played a crucial role in mitigating environmental hazards throughout Washington, DC, directly contributing to a safer environment for residents, public workers, and vulnerable populations. Through an average of over 200 coordinated encampment engagements each year, CBI’s field operations teams have significantly reduced public health risks and improved operational safety for city agencies.

The Challenge: Mitigating Biohazards in Public Spaces

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (DMHHS) oversees public health and social service programs for the District of Columbia. A key initiative is the Encampment Response Team, a multi-agency effort tasked with addressing public encampments. This team works collaboratively to provide outreach to vulnerable residents while ensuring public spaces remain safe and clean for the entire community. Their work involves a close partnership with agencies like the Department of Public Works (DPW).

The presence of encampments in densely urbanized environments presents significant public health and safety challenges. The DMHHS Encampment Response Team and its partners frequently encountered hazardous materials during their outreach and cleaning operations. These included bio-waste, contaminated sharps, and various harmful chemicals.

The primary challenges were:

  • Public Health Risk: Hazardous materials pose a direct threat to the health of the general public, especially in shared spaces such as parks, school areas, and public walkways.
  • Worker Safety: Frontline workers from DPW and other agencies faced a considerable risk of exposure to biohazards, which complicated their ability to perform their duties safely and effectively.
  • Operational Inefficiency: Without specialized biohazard removal, the process of cleaning and securing public spaces was slower and less thorough, hindering the team’s ability to adequately address community health concerns on a weekly basis.

The Solution: Specialized and Collaborative Biohazard Mitigation

To address these challenges, DMHHS engaged the expert biohazard removal services of Community Bridge, Inc. Working as an integrated member of the collaborative service team, Mr. Martin provided specialized, on-site support during encampment engagements.

CBI solution-oriented approach involved:

  • Systematic Removal: Implementing a professional process for the identification, handling, and disposal of bio-waste and harmful chemicals.
  • Continuous Sharps Disposal: Providing consistent and reliable removal of contaminated sharps is one of the most significant safety risks.
  • Integrated Partnership: Working seamlessly alongside the DMHHS and DPW teams during more than 200 coordinated engagements annually, ensuring that hazardous materials were managed expertly as outreach and cleaning services were conducted.

The Results: A Safer, Healthier District

CBI’s dedicated service has produced significant, positive outcomes for the District of Columbia. Our work has been a cornerstone of the city’s ability to manage the public health aspects of encampment response effectively.

Key results include:

  • Greatly Decreased Environmental Hazards: A marked reduction in the negative impact of hazardous materials on public spaces, including DC Public Schools (DCPS) properties, Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) facilities, and private properties.
  • Enhanced Worker Safety: The creation of a safer work environment for inter-agency partners, particularly for DPW teams, allowing them to conduct their essential duties with reduced risk.
  • Improved Community Health and Safety: By effectively addressing biohazard concerns on a weekly basis, CBI’s efforts directly contributed to the overall health and safety of the community.

As noted by Jamal Weldon, Deputy Chief of Staff and Encampment Response Program Manager for DMHHS, “Without CBI’s dedicated service alongside our team, our efforts would not be able to adequately address the community health and safety concerns that present themselves every week.”

Conclusion

The collaboration between CBI and the DMHHS Encampment Response Team demonstrates the profound impact that specialized expertise can have on complex public service initiatives. CBI’s professional and unwavering dedication to biohazard removal has not only protected public spaces but has also created a safer operational environment for the city’s frontline workers. The success of this partnership highlights the importance of integrating expert services to achieve critical community-wide health and safety objectives.

The CBI Teams’ work is a celebrated and indispensable component of the ongoing effort to improve the quality of life for all residents of the District of Columbia.

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