Army National Guard Veteran Andrew Lyng is on the Frontlines for Arkadia During COVID-19 Pandemic

RANDOLPH, N.J. —  When the COVID-19 pandemic changed life as we know it, including the way pest control businesses operate, Mark Constantino, like most PCOs, was left to ask “Now what?”

And like so many resilient PCOs Constantino, owner of Arkadia Eco Pest Control, Randolph, N.J.,  regrouped, develop a strategy, and is meeting this challenge head on. For Constantino, this involved figuring out how to utilize his team of six service professionals in a way that best ensures their safety, while also safely servicing customers. The key cog in this plan is Andrew Lyng, 24, a veteran of the Army National Guard, who has served our country as a CBRN specialist (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Specialist).

"When this whole thing started Andrew and I sat down and, because of his background, we put together a PPE plan specifically for COVID-19 and what guidelines to follow if have to go into people's homes," Constantino recalled. “So, we look at each client’s situation and ask if this is something that can go on a couple weeks, or is it an emergency, like a potential health hazard.”

Constantino and Lyng discussed a plan in which Lyng would do ALL of the company’s inside treatments (he was also given a raise), while the other five Arkadia service professionals would focus on exterior only treatments to limit both PPE and social contact. The indoor guidelines included the use of respirators, gloves, shoe covers and social distancing when talking to clients.

Maximum safety measures are taken by Lyng when treating inside. He says, "At every account I am switching out my gloves, using a respirator and tracking the hours I am using the respirator, replacing it when necessary. I have coveralls that I use and replace after each customer. So, I am basically starting fresh at every single customer, using PPE to protect them and myself.”

Lyng said he will bring up his military experience to connect with customers and put them at ease. “I’ll tell them, ‘Oh this is nothing, I have worked in much worse environments.'”

And clients have responded to Lyng’s service, as word-of-mouth has put his service in demand. Moreover, Constantino has been “blown away” by the “Thank You” emails and comments he’s received, including one from a customer who commented: “Not all heroes wear capes.”

Lyng, who has been working at Arkadia since he was in high school, says it gives him a great sense of pride to be able to do this work. “I love this job and I love this industry. It’s something that kind of goes unnoticed a lot. I go into a lot of homes and I see people struggling with something they don’t know how to deal with. The fact that we can bring answers and results to them is huge. It’s part of the reason I joined the Guard.”