Hurricane Clean-UP

[pantheraba]

Volunteer??? I won't dissuade you, but you may want to choose your volunteer homes. ....... If you need help locating a crane service in your work area, I will do all I can to put you in touch with one. I will help any way I can.

We are not a "tree company", what we are doing is a relief effort. We have worked out the time and funds with donations from folks here that want to help but cannot go down to the damaged areas. We don't want to take money away from official "tree companies" that are going there to work and understandably charge for their services. We will try to focus on folks who need the help but may not be able to afford it as well as others. But, if someone that we help wants to make a donation for our services, we will take it to help defray expenses. I'll be buying a new saw and some rigging gear before I go down...their donations will certainly help.

The big 2x2x2 soft cube bag I use to carry tree gear in was given to me approx 1985 as thanks by a poor fellow in a trailer park hit by a tornado. I helped cut the pine logs out of his kitchen and we craned them through the roof. Even though one of the pieces fell back through (my clove hitch turned loose...I don't use it for heavy loads anymore) he was appreciative and only had that to give me...he was videographer apprentice for a big TV outfit and they had retired that bag. It's a fond memory each time I use the bag...means more than his money would have.

As far as morale goes...we have a retired Navy commander (43 yrs old), a retired banker/martial artist, two young Eagle Scouts, a longtime ScoutMaster and and a few other highly motivated people that thrive on this kind of work...all in good physical condition and looking forward to helping out.

Re: a crane...locating one for me to contact would be a great service...I'll let you know.

 

[KentuckySawyer]

(my clove hitch turned loose...I don't use it for heavy loads anymore)

Back it up with two half hitches. No roll.

 

[Tree Machine]

Pantheraba, I salute you, man. As long as you're clear on your intent and know what you're getting yourself into (which is clear that you do), then I extend to you the highest honor. I think you approach is big beyond human capacity and I'll go beyond the call to assist and support you once you're down there.

I was injured badly earlier this Summer. To my surprise, dozens of checks came pouring my way, mostly from folks for whom I've volunteered or have done free work. People don't forget your good deeds. You'll be the first arborist adopted when we get a sponsor.

Arborists will gravitate to the towns and cities. You may have to be the outskirts guys, helping those who can't even normally get tree services to come out to them. There's a lot of non-city places to get to. You're going into very remote and sparsely populated areas. I think clearing roads will be a large part of your task. I have heard accounts of finding bodies wrapped around trees and deposited up into the crowns of trees by the flood waters. I hope you don't have to experience anything like that.

 

[pantheraba]

Back it up with two half hitches. No roll.

You ARE a smart dude...that is exactly what happened. The crane operator looked at the clove and said," Is that going to hold?" I said, "It always has".

My bad, it immediately rolled out and landed in the kitchen again...me red faced.

I will try with the 2 halfs next time if I don't have a choker...the clove is quick and easy, for sure.

 

[pantheraba]

Pantheraba, I salute you, man. As long as you're clear on your intent and know what you're getting yourself into (which is clear that you do), then I extend to you the highest honor. I think you approach is big beyond human capacity and I'll go beyond the call to assist and support you once you're down there.

I was injured badly earlier this Summer. To my surprise, dozens of checks came pouring my way, mostly from folks for whom I've volunteered or have done free work. People don't forget your good deeds. You'll be the first arborist adopted when we get a sponsor.

Arborists will gravitate to the towns and cities. You may be to outskirts guys, helping those who cant even get tree services to come out to them. There's a lot of non-city places to get to.

I read about your injury as you reported it with great empathy...I know you are stilll "out of action" more than you want to be but you are doing a great service by helping coordinate all of us and keeping us informed about Katrina.

My thanks to you.

My next door neighbor just came by with a newly tuned up 16" Echo, 2 new chains, a bar, 2 plugs and oil...oh, and $500 in cash to help with fuel, food, etc. A Cub Scout troop in Cumming has raised $300 to help out, too.

Another volunteer (a Scout dad) just joined up with his Durango, winch and covered trailer. His off-road group is contributing 5-10 saws and sawyer gear, chaps, etc. for us.

At Hurricane Andrew some of our most fulfilling work was out in the boonies where folks were not getting much aid...we distributed supplies from depots the Nat. Guard had set up and did basic repairs/debris removal. Just putting tarps on the roof of some folks to keep rain out was a big deal for them. When you had a 30x30 house with 8-10 people living in it their monetary resources were nil...their thanks were worth a lot, though.

We are getting up a good head of steam as we organize and stage our gear.

I'll let you know what goes on as we get on site.

 

[Tree Machine]

Hey Pantheraba. I much appreciate the acknowledgement, though I'm not here for the recognition. Getting YOU recognition, however, could serve not only your efforts, but the entire industry.

My first impulse would be to get a National Public Radio reporter to embed with you and your crew for the time you're down there. You would have to train a reporter to be a brush pilot.
What am I saying? That's crazy talk.

Ask your local U-Haul if they'll donate a closed trailer for a week. If you have a vehicle that can tow it, you have your mess hall, cooking, seating, portable ability to aid those in need. This will carry all your supplies and provisions and be lockable. One 20 x 30 tarp and bungee cords and you have your covered area.

Pantheraba, you're going to places that have not yet been accessed. These were remote places to begin with, but being cut off from electricity and phone for what is now the 8th straight day. Put yourself in their mind; "Where are the rescue people?</i> Pantheraba, you and your team ARE the rescue people.

The roads are NOT cleared yet. The damage in the towns and cities is attracting the cleanup teams, but out in the bayous, in the deep which IS the deep south, those people who got slammed so violently a week ago Sunday, those folks haven't been reached yet. They are, as we speak, unaccounted for. The potential for the numbers killed 'out there' is said could reach into the thousands. They are fearing many, many dead. You are going to take a team into this almost otherworldly reality and reach out to the ureachables. Sir, my hat is off to you.

WHAT DO YOU NEED? Once you go in there, you could be completely out of touch with the rest of the world. WHAT DO YOU NEED? Whatever preparations we arrange for you has to happen most immediately. How many hours dive to central arkansas from the Atlanta area, how long to the Loisiana state line? Could we arrange a resupply mission in 4-5 days, someone you know who could drive fresh supplies and water in to you? How long do you think of working the mission (I know, a very difficult question to answer). Where do you feel you will start? What direction? And Tell Us What You Need.

I'd like to suggest you get an Alabama, Loisiana, Mississippi ATLAS AND GAZETEER. This will help you navigate and you can write in them, plot your course, and enter your daily notes. They provide map detail down to the horse trail. They're, I think, $18 apiece. I really, really recommend this, even more than the FM radio earprotective headset. Navigation is key to not just blindly driving into whereverland. If someone wants to donate to your cause, tell them to buy you these three state maps. You need a long-distance calling card for while you're in the phone zone. Once you go deeper, and you're out of cell zonew you are officially out of touch with the world.

When you leave town, you will have my home phone number, my wife's cell number and my cell number. In other words, I CAN BE REACHED. You can call me from now until the end of your mission. I'll file reports from you to the online community when you're away from the computer, and assist you in any way I can.

Peace, mang.

 

[Thirdpete]

if anyone is going down from the chicago area i'm more than willing. i'm a writer/editor for a few publications (journalism major at lewis university) so i'll be writing about the experiences, and i can work too.

 

[Tree Machine]

Are those donations, loaners or do you have stuff for sale? Website?

Offering financing is always helpful, especially when a man may need to finally make that decision so he can upgrade his equipment. This would be quite a way to break in a new grapple. Thank you. Could you arrange delivery into 'the zone' if it were requested?

 

[treebob]

well here goes. this is my first time using a bullaton board. am i on line.
treebob

 

[Tree Machine]

Yes you are, TreeBob. Welcome to the site!

Wasssssup?




Here's the official word from Carterman regarding equipment to 'the zone'.

Yes I have machines that can be financed on the spot through various sources -- I finance most items if over 25 grand with ALTEC Capital and others with Private sources. I take VISA and Mastercharge and company cash as well.. I have various machines in Louisiana, Georgia, Texas and Alabama that can be hand delivered into THE ZONE. We shipped two Grapples for Skid Steers on Thursday and we confirmed their arrival.

My number is 989-560-3334 .

Thanks for opening the options to our men. Thank you very much.

 

[treebob]

I'm new at this. Who is Carterman? I need a grapple truck with dump. Where can i find one on short notic. I belong to a church in Beaufort, SC and we are organizing a relief effort. They have elected, and I accepted the job of clean up man. Can anyone help me find a truck. I have everything else needed for the operation.
Thanks
Treebob

 

[D]

Here are the storm maps. Sorry been out of town. The highlighted areas are damaged.

 

[treebob]

Darin,
I see your map on my screen but it is too big to see the whole map at one time. How do i reduce the size of it.
Treebob

 

[Tree Machine]

Welcome back Darin, though I acknowledge it may be temporary, thank you for coming back in and providing us with the maps.

I will resize these maps, Bob, to something that will fit on your screen. You give me a few minutes, sit right there, this won't take long. They're good road maps and use them to aid our level 1 navigation logistics.

 

[redemption]

This is a great thread! As I mentioned on a previous thread, I am considering going down. I went trough Pensacola and did some work a couple months ago and it was not too bad. This time I would like to take a diff aproach.

Rather than doing tree removals I was considering hawling debree. Will anyone be doing this from here? Anyone from West Palm Beach? Is ashbritt the only contact for debris removal?

At this point I am in college and was going to cancell classes for this semester to go work for 4 months or so.

I was personally considering Purchasing to take a Dump truck and skid loader, own a stump grinder but was not planning on taking that. The problem is that the dump would have to be a smaller 40 footer as I do not have CDL.

Other option would be to subcontract cleanup with a couple Skitloaders instead of hauling stuff.


Any ideas what will be the pay for this services?


Darin, I have laptop, digital camerra and verry computer litterate. Could you PM with potential income of doing assesment work?


Thanks

 

[Tree Machine]

Carter, welcome to the sponsor circle. You're amongst the world's best gear distributors to the Tree Care Industry.

redemption, consider long and hard about whether to leave school for this. Have you ever been to the deep south? On top of all the obstacles and scenarios we've painted thus far, down there they have copperheads, water moccasins and alligators, depending on where you are.

You ask a few questions that are not possible for me to answer, maybe someone who knows pay scales can answer, but I know it will depend on where, with whom, what your capabilities are ultimately, your desire to help.

Here are the resized maps: (see page 7)

 

[redemption]

Tree Machine,

I am currently in FL so, snakes and alligators are an everyday occurence The advice is verry good none the less as sometimes people do not think all the complications and the perrils of not going preparred.

 

[trimmmed]

maps

 

[Tree Machine]

Thanks, Trimmed. I appreciate you sizing those for us. Map #2 (eastern Loisiana) doesn't appear showing with the other three.

Redemption, careful of how you compromise yourself in the name of helping the cause. The only 'known' right now is that there are a lot of unknowns. If you don't have good instincts and financial backing, you probably shouldn't go. If you choose to hook up with someone, consider all the ways you can be additive to a team. Your contributions need to be 100% if you're going to have a team carry you around. If you're driving a dump truck (?) and skid loader, who is YOUR team and support?

As mentioned early on in this thread, don't go down there and become part of the problem. Personally, I would not drive newly purchased equipment, untried and untested into such a zone. There is no guarantee on income potential, none whatsoever and no contacts with FEMA. Money will be based upon how your business approach is, and whether you're in an area whose financial condition can afford what you charge.

If you go down unprepared it could end up being a very costly sightseeing trip into the disaster zone. You'll have to make your own decisions and some questions you'll have early on simply are not possible to answer.

 

[knudeNoggin]

Back it up with two half hitches. No roll.

That's one way (though sort of like repeating a mistake (in that 2HH is another Clove)).
Another is to tie a stopper knot in the end (and the Overhand stopper is the one
that can best be tied snug against something); one could tie the Clove with a
slip-tuck and put a Slip-knot in that (i.e., so both stopper and Clove are
slipped).

Yet another way, which I'll dub a Locked Clove, is to bring the Clove's end
back around the standing part--going around from the END's side--and then tuck
the end between itself/SPart/crossing-part-of-Clove (which will form a Bowline-like collar
around the Clove's Spart, and leave the end well nipped between three parts of
the knot.
This locking of the Clove is more sure around relatively large-dia objects than
the stopper; of course, so too is using 2HH (or 1HH w/stopper to it).
[TreeSpyder, U takin' notes on this? Do I have to send an image? ]

I'm kinda surprised that you didn't have Clove hitches roll before ... .

Best wishes on your help,
thanks,
*knudeNoggin*