Just wondering what types of emergency calls do you guys get at all hours? If any, and how frequently? I did plenty of work in the middle of the night doing line clearance. But after 7 years I've started my own business now and often wonder if the phone will ever ring in the middle of the night for that "emergency" call. What types of things simply can't wait until morning? Thanks guys I look forward to hearing your experiences.
24hr emergency work
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2treeornot2tree
Dont cry, just do it
I have never got a call in the middle of the night, but I do get a couple emergency calls a year.
Last one I got was a home owner on sunday last year was dropping trees and tried to get one that all the weight was leaning towards the house. His cuts were UGLY. It sat back on the bar and I was in the middle of a 3 hr hike with no short way home. They tried two harbor freight comealongs with no luck. Hooked to new trucks together to pull it over, and all they got was a new truck with a smashed bumper. The problem is there rope wasnt high enough up the tree. I set a rope with my throw ball and pulled it over with my more power puller.
Last one I got was a home owner on sunday last year was dropping trees and tried to get one that all the weight was leaning towards the house. His cuts were UGLY. It sat back on the bar and I was in the middle of a 3 hr hike with no short way home. They tried two harbor freight comealongs with no luck. Hooked to new trucks together to pull it over, and all they got was a new truck with a smashed bumper. The problem is there rope wasnt high enough up the tree. I set a rope with my throw ball and pulled it over with my more power puller.
Grace Tree
Impossible Access
Never got a call in the middle of the night but a lady called about 5 years ago and said that a tree had fallen on her deck and she'd like me to come and remove it. I told her that we were backed up about 3 weeks but I'd try to get over in the next few days to clear it off the deck. She said my husband is legally blind and he's in the garage right now trying to start his chainsaw. I told her I'll be there in 15 minutes. Tell him not to do anything. She was telling the truth. It was a wonder he could find the chainsaw.
Phil
Phil
KenJax Tree
Terraphobic
I have a legally blind cousin and be finds everything but everything has to be in a certain spot and it only goes in that spot so when i go over there i don't touch ANYTHING.
???
On a different but related note, are any of you guys on "call" throughout the night and weekends? Just wondering how the pay rate is. Are you paid for 24 hours while on call or just when called? Being on call during a storm for emergency related issues could take a toll on ones private life.
On a different but related note, are any of you guys on "call" throughout the night and weekends? Just wondering how the pay rate is. Are you paid for 24 hours while on call or just when called? Being on call during a storm for emergency related issues could take a toll on ones private life.
When I did line clearance we rotated being on call for the weekends. Got paid a whopping 2 hours of OT each day and couldn't go more than 30mins from the office. However, if we did get called we got a 4 hour minimum even if it took us 10 minutes to get it off the lines. That was kinda sweet. The wife did hate it though. You either like doing storm work or you don't, no in between.
So over and above regular daily pay/wage, to be on call, you automatically got 2 hours OT and then on top of that got 4 hours min. if a call came in? How long were you on call for, sporadic storms or every day perhaps for a week? I ask because a buddy of mine is in a similar situation and I think he's getting used. He's on 24/7 for the next week and two weekends and I wondering what others make on call.
Thanks.
Thanks.
sgreanbeans
Treeaculterologist
It has to be a pretty bad storm for me to get calls, when stuff does go down, the hackers are out in force, knocking on doors and such. When we do get them, I don't get a lot of the bids, as I wont do biznass with the insurance company's. If I sign with a person, they are responsible for payment, not the insurance company. Many don't like this, but experience has taught me that the insurance co's are real good about trying not to pay or dragging it out for months. I don't deal with that. I have had several "midnight calls" most of the time its a HO scared out of their minds and most of it could wait until the mourning. 1 time did we set up lights and go for it. Big oak leader thru a roof and rain was coming, so we pulled it, tarped it and went back to bed. I hate the one's who call and say emergency, then ya get there and it is a 5ft stick in the yard, always old people.
deevo
Addicted to ArboristSite
I have a contract with a couple of the bigger insurance companies, and when they call they want you there asap and the tree off the house asap. The storms we had last spring/summer we were working thru the night several times due to rain being in the forecast and they want the house sealed/tarped to prevent further loss. I have all the lighting and helmet lights so its really no big deal. My crane guy has some big lights as well on his crane, just keep the coffee flowing and everything's good! I pay my guys time and a half as well for all emergency work, nights, weekends etc....
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superjunior
Addicted to ArboristSite
I've never had a call in the middle of the night either, guess most people don't realize the damage till they get up in the morning anyway. A few years back we had a real bad storm. About 6 in of snow followed by freezing rain/ice. There was trees and limbs down everywhere. Had my plow trucks and tree trucks all out, it was pure chaos.. Charged 100$ per man hr with a 200$ minimum to even get out of the truck. Had to plow to get to the fallen tree in most cases. Made some serious $$$ that day
tree md
Addicted to ArboristSite
In a bad storm situation I will get calls around the clock. Never went out on a storm call til the next morning but people freak when a tree crashes through their roof in the middle of the night.
Working the tornados in Alabama last Summer, my phone would light up ever time the wind would start blowing really hard from hung up trees coming over. Had one elderly woman call me because she was worried her tree was going to come over on her house. After what they experienced in Alabama last year I couldn't blame her. She was just scared. I stayed on the phone with her for over an hour until the storm passed and reassured her.
Got two calls last year after hours on kitty cats in trees. Again, I reassured both ladies that I have been doing tree work for 20 years and have never found a dead cat in a tree. In both instances the cats came down before daylight.
On emergency rates: I charge double my normal rate.
Working the tornados in Alabama last Summer, my phone would light up ever time the wind would start blowing really hard from hung up trees coming over. Had one elderly woman call me because she was worried her tree was going to come over on her house. After what they experienced in Alabama last year I couldn't blame her. She was just scared. I stayed on the phone with her for over an hour until the storm passed and reassured her.
Got two calls last year after hours on kitty cats in trees. Again, I reassured both ladies that I have been doing tree work for 20 years and have never found a dead cat in a tree. In both instances the cats came down before daylight.
On emergency rates: I charge double my normal rate.
superjunior
Addicted to ArboristSite
LOL, got called on a cat rescue job once.. got up there and the plan was to grab the little f###er and throw him into a pillow case - lower him to the ground. .. Cat didn't like my plan, scratched me in the face and ran down the tree..
Next time time I get a cat call I'll remove the kitty with the big shot and some apples....
Next time time I get a cat call I'll remove the kitty with the big shot and some apples....
treeman82
Addicted to ArboristSite
I too gave up on the cat rescues... drive out there only to find the little bastard has come down on its own. I just tell the people to leave a can of food at the base of the tree, the cat will come down.
As far as emergency jobs go... I've had people call me at 10PM or later in the past about STUPID stuff. Can you come grind a stump first thing in the morning or the like. For the most part my clients know that they can call me in the morning or e-mail me and I will come running. When we had the storms last year I got some calls, but for the most part they just waited because they knew I was on top of things as best I could be.
beastmaster
Addicted to ArboristSite
I been on a few in the middle of the night. The Coolest had to be a flaming pine. The caretakers of this 1930's mansion was having a party, I guess the fireplace caught the the house on fire, the house caught a 80 or so foot pine on fire. The fire dept. wouldn't enter the house tell the tree was safely down. A pumper truck sprayed the tree and it was still smoking and steaming when I climbed it. I took a massive top right on top of the house and swimming pool, made a nice crashing sound with great visuals of smoke sparks and fire.
One Christmas eve a big tree blow over in a storm on top of an apt. The boss told me if I wanted I could take the truck and have the job, Merry Christmas. My Girlfriend(I was single then)and a friend worked tell 2:00 am. I made a weeks wages for 6 hours of work, and pissed off a whole complex chipping at 1:30 Christmas morning..
Been on a few others in the middle of the night. A nice long rain, followed by strong winds = $$$$ Most the time we just make the situation safe then return at a decent hour.
One Christmas eve a big tree blow over in a storm on top of an apt. The boss told me if I wanted I could take the truck and have the job, Merry Christmas. My Girlfriend(I was single then)and a friend worked tell 2:00 am. I made a weeks wages for 6 hours of work, and pissed off a whole complex chipping at 1:30 Christmas morning..
Been on a few others in the middle of the night. A nice long rain, followed by strong winds = $$$$ Most the time we just make the situation safe then return at a decent hour.
I work mostly for the City my phone on 24 /7 and no as salary I dont get $ more for that or any OT $ when I do get a after hours call.
Storm or other will see my phone ring. If my contractor team needs the back up I will turn out.
More often its just to clear a road but if tower work or other needed it can be real tricky working at night or foul weather. I preffer to just secure the site and wait till day light.
What gets me annoyed is the 5 -6pm jobs, just as I drive home the phone rings so getz to turn around and drag a limb for a cold or dry dinner.
Most intresting was a car crash 1998, it was the Mayor drunk he'd spun it into a tree wrote off the car. He calls me says keep this on the quiet make the tree remains go away. His plan, it did not work so well for him...
I had trees on fire after lighting n outta reach of hoses. Critter needeng rescue.
Real tricky tasks trees on home roofs or cars I got one about to go over on 66 thousand volt line, you can smell that power fizzing.
When I worked for Asplundh in 1996 we got a mention by the big boss in dispatches for a storm that had us out 24 hours+ and took 4 weeks to clear up 24 thousand miles from head office.
Storm or other will see my phone ring. If my contractor team needs the back up I will turn out.
More often its just to clear a road but if tower work or other needed it can be real tricky working at night or foul weather. I preffer to just secure the site and wait till day light.
What gets me annoyed is the 5 -6pm jobs, just as I drive home the phone rings so getz to turn around and drag a limb for a cold or dry dinner.
Most intresting was a car crash 1998, it was the Mayor drunk he'd spun it into a tree wrote off the car. He calls me says keep this on the quiet make the tree remains go away. His plan, it did not work so well for him...
I had trees on fire after lighting n outta reach of hoses. Critter needeng rescue.
Real tricky tasks trees on home roofs or cars I got one about to go over on 66 thousand volt line, you can smell that power fizzing.
When I worked for Asplundh in 1996 we got a mention by the big boss in dispatches for a storm that had us out 24 hours+ and took 4 weeks to clear up 24 thousand miles from head office.
A new boy dragged and conscripted for a LG contract, twas a intresting 4 years, I'm mostly glad they are behind me.
Pelorus
Uva uvam vivendo varia fit
Have done a couple of cat-outta-tree retrievals which have all ended uneventfully except one. Lady calls me from her cottage to get cat perched in a good size hemlock. No problemo, except the damn cat kept moving higher up the tree whenever I got anywhere near it. So up & up we went, untill it deliberately bailed out at 50 - 60 ft up, hit the ground, and disapeared.
I felt awful, thinking I had killed this lady's pet. She insisted on paying me even though I told her there was no charge. Her husband is/was a hand surgeon at John Hopkins in USA, and she said he was very fond of this cat. This is back 10 years or so when the CDN dollar was like Monopoly money compared to the US, and I don't remember how much she paid, but it was all American $$$.
I get a phone call from her about three days later telling me the cat showed up at the door, and no worse for the experience.
I felt awful, thinking I had killed this lady's pet. She insisted on paying me even though I told her there was no charge. Her husband is/was a hand surgeon at John Hopkins in USA, and she said he was very fond of this cat. This is back 10 years or so when the CDN dollar was like Monopoly money compared to the US, and I don't remember how much she paid, but it was all American $$$.
I get a phone call from her about three days later telling me the cat showed up at the door, and no worse for the experience.
So over and above regular daily pay/wage, to be on call, you automatically got 2 hours OT and then on top of that got 4 hours min. if a call came in? How long were you on call for, sporadic storms or every day perhaps for a week? I ask because a buddy of mine is in a similar situation and I think he's getting used. He's on 24/7 for the next week and two weekends and I wondering what others make on call.
Thanks.
Capetrees,
We were only on call on the weekends and holidays. During the week whoever was closest got the call. Weekend and holidays they just wanted to make sure someone was around and sober.
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