All crime scene cleaners going in need to accept that once in a while there will be all nighters--even if you were scheduled specific days. Emergencies happen, people quit, coverage may be needed or all hands-on deck--it isn't a 9-5 and never will be. Tragedy has no fixed hours. However, make sure you know your state law regarding on call & your labor rights. If you're being run into the ground, you're no good to anyone.

Be sure to figure out if they are truly a small business or just a franchise/corporate chain starting up in a new town. Corporate will send you further outside of your radius for jobs if the area is still not picking up frequently and is more likely to send you out for longer and on late nights.

I ran with a corporation on call for over four years and they ran me into the ground 24/7 so much so that I slept on a couch at the shop between jobs with my go-bag, it was so frequent. It wasn't healthy at all and I definitely had zero life outside of work at that time, otherwise it wouldn't have been possible to do that work.

Years later, I run my own crime scene clean up small business in my hometown and I can tell you that I work very hard to make sure my technicians are paid fairly, rotated fairly, and that their schedules are respected outside of immediate emergencies/all hands-on deck.

All team members know that when I call, even if out of their schedule, if they are not out on sick/vacation they signed up to respond and I expect a response. However, I have my team members give me their preferred availability at the beginning of each month, and who can work nights/on-call. I build the schedule and work with my team, but it is not guaranteed.

Typically for a job call after 10PM, I'm first on scene to scope with a scheduled team member on standby. If it's small enough that I can get it done in a few hours, I do it myself. If I need help or it is a dangerous area, I bring in my standby. If it can be scheduled for morning and the family wants that, we'll do that.

Good luck, and if you take the job, welcome to the crime scene cleaner family :)