My Disaster Relief load out

[Hank Chinaski]

Great setup--we are in the infant stages of making a crew like yours here. Worked last Sat in SE OK. Our hangup seems to be training, leadership, and paperwork. Which Church? Did this take a long time to set up? Are you "pre-approved" so that you are allowed in or contacted early on?

My church is The Church at Rock Creek | Welcome we are part of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Disaster Relief is part of their Missions Board.
The SBC DR is one of the most recognized volunteer groups in the nation, and they work regularly w/the Red Cross, Salvation Army, FEMA and others as well when there are "big" disasters.
So, I guess you'd say we're pre approved.

I was wondering if you had and any pole saws that are muscle powered? You guys have nice setup You guys use portable two way radios ? I would think a second bigger trailer could be set up as a mobile HQ-Secondary supply trailer.

I usually carry a pull stick saw, but rarely use it as I've got a 131, and so does the church, so we can cut each other out
We are working on Comms now. The Arkansas SBC DR has a Comms Command trailer that's pretty awesome and can act as a state hq for our operations if needed.
When we are out in AR, we have plenty of resupply thru our homes/church/shops etc, and when out of state, we carry A LOT of extras. Right now I've got 4 5gallon cans of 100% gas, 5 gallons of bar oil and enough mix oil for the 20gallons of fuel as well as two chain grinders, spare bars, lots of chains etc.
I've even got enough water/mre's to last 4-5days working out of the truck if necessary (although we eat GOOD when we go out usually)

 

[Philbert]

How do you decide who you help?

Following up on Number 37 and Caleath, I go because I personally want to help and do something more tangible than writing a check.

I learned that without volunteers (including neighbors, Red Cross and Salvation Army, and others) recovery from large scale disasters would take many times as long, and the physical and economic consequences for some would be even more devastating.

We learned early on to work within the disaster community, and we rely on other volunteer groups for support, such as finding places for our volunteers to sleep, and identifying people in need. We rely on either these groups or the county Emergency Manager to prioritize and 'assign' us to clients, to keep the response process flowing smoothly and to reduce perceptions of bias.

Have you ever had a negitive reaction from tree companys because you could be taking their work?

I have seen a few sneers from tree companies, but not usually from the professionals. Our work is usually to clear trees off of driveways, sidewalks, yards, roofs, etc., and not to do technical stuff or corrective trimming. As noted earlier, this often helps the professional tree companies.

The guys that make faces are probably also making faces at the other companies competing with them, but in a large disaster, by definition, there is too much for the regular services to handle. It would be like the local hotels and resturants complaining about volunteers feeding and sheltering storm victims, even if all their rooms and tables were full.

What about someone getting hurt on a property?

We work at our own risk and we require our volunteers to sign a waiver acknowledging this. In limited cases, there can be some protection for volunteers who are working under the direction of the local government, sheriff, etc., so it is always good to sign in/register, but we don't count on this.

I was wondering if you had and any pole saws that are muscle powered?

I got our group to buy a few, nice pole saws, with good quality saws (hook end), and sectional poles for hanging branches. Anything to keep guys off of roofs, ladders, etc. We do not normally climb.

You guys use portable two way radios ?

We use UHF radios in places where the cell phones don't work. Eveybody seems to have a cell phone today, so that is usually easier.

Philbert

 

[Redbug]

Hi 37, Besides the CargoMaster racks...who makes the great looking front bumper/brush guard winch setup? I like it and have not seen one like that before...I would like to order one...

 

[Hank Chinaski]

Hi 37, Besides the CargoMaster racks...who makes the great looking front bumper/brush guard winch setup? I like it and have not seen one like that before...I would like to order one...

thank you sir. It's the first one I've built. The main outside skin is made from a blank of a school bus bumper, all 3/16" thick, the bars are 1.5" DOM tubing, and this truck has 4 frame horns on the front and all are tied into the bumper sub frame (I built too) using 1/4" wall 1.5" square tube that's fully welded side by side (making 1/2" steel in the center figure 8, and the bumper sub frame holds the winch and mounts the outer skin, and incorporates the front receiver hitch.
I'm usually "monetarily challenged" lol, and couldn't see paying $2k for a bumper that had the features I wanted, so with some scrap yard hunting etc, minus the lights/winch/shackles, I've got about $80 in steel in this one.


Philbert: Thanks for your additions. Anyone else involved or related or Q's about the gear or DR, feel free to chime in.

 

[Philbert]

with some scrap yard hunting etc, minus the lights/winch/shackles, I've got about $80 in steel in this one.

You are being too modest. $80, your time, and some design and welding skills. I think that you have a part time enterprise there if you want one. I want one of those racks and brush guards and I don't even have a pickup truck!

Philbert

 

[Redbug]

That has got to be the cleanest looking brush guard front ends I have ever seen. Much better than the ones I have been looking at on-line. No wonder it looks to good to be true! It can't be bought! A little marketing and and a couple other workers, and you could have a pretty good niche! But if you are retired...who wants to work?!

 

[tomdcoker]

Just moving this back to the top. This saw deserves to do well for several reasons.

1. It is an 8500!
2. It is a true worksaw and in proper original working condition
3. It is nicely kept
4. Seller is obviously a stand-up guy

Can't figure out for the life of me why you would sell it, but I am watching with interest.
Hope things are going well with the cleanup. I was flying at 31000' yesterday and could not figure out why there were long straight demarcations on the ground that I had never seen before. Several of them crossed lakes and the like. It took me until the afternoon to figure out that they were the tornado tracks. VERY long and wide one south of Birmingham. Several more elsewhere. Just looks like someone took an eraser to a painting of the landscape, and made brown eraser tracks.
FYI, the flooding west of the Mississippi and north of Memphis is what I would call catastrophic. The news is not giving this NEARLY enough attention. We flew for nearly 100 miles on the arrival into Memphis the other day, where nearly all of the land beneath us was flooded. Casino's and small towns too.

I flew from GTR TO ATL Wed. and saw the tracks of the one that hit Tuscaloosa and Birmingham.
I drove back from ATL and drive through where it hit in B'ham. It crossed 278 just after you turn of 20-59. Tom