Getting experiance?

[Brian13]

I am a full time firefighter and in my off time I would like to get a job with a tree service to gain more experience cutting and learn to climb. I realize that me asking for part time work is my first strike against me, but the few places that are hiring want experienced climbers. How can I get enough experience to get my foot in the door? Or how can I market myself to make a company more inclined to train me? I am not completely ignorant to ropes and knots, as they are frequently used in the fire service. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[pdqdl]

You might drive around town, following a couple of tree service crews. Watch how they work, see if they are a bunch of jack-legs, or if they are a fairly professional outfit.

If you think you would work well with them, ask to talk to the boss, and then offer to work one day for free. The biggest problem for most groundies is the physical exertion and the danger/difficulty/noise discomfort problem. Your experience and training should fully equip you to pick up tree work very easily.

Promise to show him what a fireman can do, and you will probably get a chance.

 

[beowulf343]

I am not completely ignorant to ropes and knots, as they are frequently used in the fire service. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Don't go into tree work thinking your skill with a rope and knots from the fire company will give you a huge leg up. Had a firefighter come through my crew a few years back who was the "climber" for his house. Ended up firing him because he wanted to do things his way, the firehouse way, instead of the tree climber way. Most tree climbers use a style of ascending and descending that is completely foreign to rock climbers or rescue people who use rope. Good luck.

 

[Brian13]

You might drive around town, following a couple of tree service crews. Watch how they work, see if they are a bunch of jack-legs, or if they are a fairly professional outfit.

If you think you would work well with them, ask to talk to the boss, and then offer to work one day for free. The biggest problem for most groundies is the physical exertion and the danger/difficulty/noise discomfort problem. Your experience and training should fully equip you to pick up tree work very easily.

Promise to show him what a fireman can do, and you will probably get a chance.

Thanks for the advice, that makes a lot of sense. There is one outfit that I have talked to that seem to be pretty professional as well as a good group of guys. Just didnt have the work to hire anybody. But I was asking if when I get my next project finished if I could cut some cookies with the wood they have laying around. The guy seemed interested in the saw I am rebuilding and had no problem with me testing it, so hope to be able to make my name known there. Had another tell me today to give them a call back if I can get some experience climbing. I will have to try the work for a day free idea. I would be more than happy to do that to get my foot in the door.

Don't go into tree work thinking your skill with a rope and knots from the fire company will give you a huge leg up. Had a firefighter come through my crew a few years back who was the "climber" for his house. Ended up firing him because he wanted to do things his way, the firehouse way, instead of the tree climber way. Most tree climbers use a style of ascending and descending that is completely foreign to rock climbers or rescue people who use rope. Good luck.

I apologize, I was in no way trying to imply that I am ready start climbing. I am smart enough to know that I dont know much. My intent was to state that I have seen/tied some of the basic knots, I have put on various harnesses, and have had some experience with rappelling. I would consider myself at the homeowner experience level. But I want to change that, I want to be at the competent climber and cutter level.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Try looking for a smaller company. A one or two man outfit may be more willing to work with a part timer. Be willing to do groundie work for a while before being given a chance to climb. Learn and use proper chainsaw safety. Use PPE without being told. Learn how to be a good groundie and use the time to learn as much as you can about how tree work is done. Try to see if you can be a step ahead of the climber. In your mind, see if you can guess which branch he will need to cut next and which type of cut he will use to do it. The owner of a small outfit may be more willing to spend some time working with you on these things, compared to a large outfit with lots of overhead. Get a book called 'The tree climbers companion' and read it.
Remember that it is expensive for a company to train you in these skills, so do as much as possible to make it worth their time to do so.

Rick

 

[Saw Dust Smoken]

experience

Do you have a saddle? Can you climb on weekend? Low and slow. Learn the knots. What are each knot used for? The tree climbers companion book is good place to start.

 

[Brian13]

I will look at the smaller companies. I was thinking bigger companies=more business and a bigger need to hire. But they seem to be the ones really wanting experience. I am willing to work all aspects of the tree service, and I want to learn to do so safely. I am in the process of borrowing a saddle from a friend I work with to learn with. He has no spikes though, and I would have to find those on my own. And I am looking up all the knots that I can find mentioned here and in the adds in craigslist looking for climbers. I know some already, some I have seen before but not on a frequent enough basis to say I know them, and there are some that are totally new to me. Thanks for the advice, I am going to order the tree climbers companion from Baileys as soon as I can.