NEW! Volunteer Chainsaw Thread

[exCanuck]

This thread has taken an unfortunate turn: more like ‘the other site’.

I take the blame for the unintentional thread de-rail, it was meant more as a joke than anything (hence the grumbly face) and should not disuade anyone from helping their neighbor.

Or was @Philbert referring to my JOKE misquoting a famous movie quote, "Badges? We don't need no stinking badges." If so, I am sorry. Of course permits are necessary wherever permits are necessary.

 

[dougie]

Just working to get back active on here since I moved to a house where I have no wood heat option I fell out of touch. Been around since back in 09 AS to SawHawgz to here


Saw in FB group someone talking about saw volunteering, mentioned an org name. When I went back to get it, the post was deleted.

After the ch!t KY went through in Mayfield in 22 and the floods in E-KY in the spring and still having memories of the '09 ice storm where folks ended up being trapped in their rural neighborhoods for months by downed trees... This is something I could get behind at least locally.

The ice storms is what got me into chainsaws as I had a W. Germany 038 mag, but it was heavy. Wanted a lighter saw ended up w/ a 361, started searching saw related stuff found muffler mods and AS and the CAD took over. We cut every weekend from Feb - April clearing the trails on our property. Myself and 2-3 others cutting and my pop on a tractor just pushing the trees out of the trails - that 1/2" of ice was devastating.

dw

 

[Seachaser]

Working for the power company, personally i wish the storm clean up volunteers just stayed home and outta the way.

I wish the power company people here would use chainsaws. Last two times I had to cut them a path. They did zero help except to reconnect the wires.

 

[Dustin4185]

Do you offer a pathway for the S212 course? Here, it’s only offered for wildland firefighters. I have heard of some organizations sponsoring it for other volunteers.

I have attended USFS chainsaw training for trail maintenance volunteers, that was limited to bucking and limbing: no felling. Also, some crosscut saw training for the same, which was very interesting.

Philbert

I know in TN, it’s almost impossible to get outside being a .gov employee or student. I know some college students that have gotten it for course work, but once they are done with school, they can’t get recerted. I’ve kept my S212 up to date wether I use it or not.

 

[Philbert]

I have heard of some trail maintenance groups, that had qualified, S212 instructors, but don’t have the specifics.

Philbert

 

[Dustin4185]

I help out with a firewood ministry and our church does some cleanup local. I want to get involved in bigger, more organized groups, but I always get pissed and don’t go back, lol. Our church went down to Louisiana and did some storm cleanup, and I wasn’t sure about going. We had just switched to that one. We went back two summers ago and I cut several trees then and the kids pulled brush. I’ve helped on a few for work, but usually when we have a major weather event, I have my own mess to deal with. I got a call today from our pastor that there is some local needs for both firewood and cleanup after this snow came through. We have talked about starting a firewood ministry at church, but we haven’t got organized yet.

 

[Philbert]

I help out with a firewood ministry and our church does some cleanup local. I want to get involved in bigger, more organized groups, but I always get pissed and don’t go back, lol.

When you are volunteering, it is important that you get along with your fellow volunteers.

Not getting paid $. So, it’s all about satisfaction, accomplishment, fellowship/camaraderie, etc.

Sometimes personalities don’t mesh. Even in larger organizations, there are folks I look forward to working with, and those I avoid.

Philbert

 

[full chizel]

I wish the power company people here would use chainsaws. Last two times I had to cut them a path. They did zero help except to reconnect the wires.

Thats all they have to do. We have contract companies that do that and line clearance. No reason for us to.

 

[Philbert]

That’s one of the keys of working in a disaster zone: lots of people have to work together.

Government (local, state and/or tribal, federal); law enforcement (sometimes National Guard); utilities, Public Works; search & rescue; tree workers; emergency repairs (Core of Engineers’ contractors); social welfare (Red Cross, etc.); damage assessment and insurance; residents; . . .

That is why Emergency Managers are often more comfortable working with established volunteer groups, versus ‘spontaneous, unaffiliated, volunteers’ (SUVs), even if well intentioned.

Philbert

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

That’s one of the keys of working in a disaster zone: lots of people have to work together.

Government (local, state and/or tribal, federal); law enforcement (sometimes National Guard); utilities, Public Works; search & rescue; tree workers; emergency repairs (Core of Engineers’ contractors); social welfare (Red Cross, etc.); damage assessment and insurance; residents; . . .

That is why Emergency Managers are often more comfortable working with established volunteer groups, versus ‘spontaneous, unaffiliated, volunteers’ (SUVs), even if well intentioned.

Philbert

As I start to go through the course work I'm understanding why they have the standards they have, and in concept they seem reasonable.

 

[Catbuster]

That’s one of the keys of working in a disaster zone: lots of people have to work together.

Government (local, state and/or tribal, federal); law enforcement (sometimes National Guard); utilities, Public Works; search & rescue; tree workers; emergency repairs (Core of Engineers’ contractors); social welfare (Red Cross, etc.); damage assessment and insurance; residents; . . .

That is why Emergency Managers are often more comfortable working with established volunteer groups, versus ‘spontaneous, unaffiliated, volunteers’ (SUVs), even if well intentioned.

Philbert

That is spot on. Unknown quantities are exactly that-unknown quantities. A lot of volunteers are impatient, even if they are well qualified. As somebody who has done logistics and operations for EM, I’ve had to tell quite a few very knowledgable, capable and well known firms, much less volunteers to slow down and wait in line because we would always get to them because we needed the help, but did not have a spot for them.

People working willy nilly does not help in emergencies. There’s a lot of moving parts that must work in unison or the whole thing can fall apart. People get in others ways, and everybody on the ground has to take some direction.