As we have wrapped up our first month of summer you may find yourself wondering, “What’s going on over there at Russell Tree Experts?” Well, let me fill you in!
Storms
Our crew working hard to resolve storm damage at Valley Forge National Historical Park on June 11th, 2020
Let’s start with storms. This summer has provided quite a bit of severe weather. From trees on houses to branches littering the yard, we have seen it all. We had crews dispatched all over Columbus and we even mobilized to help mitigate storm damage in Valley Forge National Historical Park, PA. Our crews have been on high alert working late into the evenings helping to clean up central Ohio. It is only through their hard work and perseverance that we were able to help all those who reached out for our help and services. I would like to take a moment to thank all of our crew members for staying safe and toughing it out through all these weather events and remind you to always do a safety check of your property after any high winds.
Check out the above video of our crew removing a hazardous tree that uprooted and fell down in a client's yard in Columbus, Ohio during a windy thunderstorm.
Training
Joe Russell conducting traffic control training
Next let’s talk about training. In June, Russell Tree Experts (RTE) dedicated two weeks of individualized training for our team members. Each crew had the opportunity to spend time where dedicated trainers helped to advance their arboriculture expertise. It is always an exciting time to watch our employees’ passion as they try out new techniques or operate new gear and equipment for the first time. Some of the most important items we touched on were traffic control and aerial rescues. With traffic being an ever-present danger in our industry we have turned to technology wherever possible. We had hands on training with our automated flaggers allowing crew members to control traffic without being in harm’s way. Job site setup is critical in this industry and knowing precisely how to setup cannot be over stressed. Aerial rescues are also another very important part of training. We were able to setup real life situations and go over step by step instructions on how to handle any emergency situation. This type of training is invaluable in real life applications. However, our training did have some more exciting moments. We had new members climb for the first time, practice felling notches, and even climb a tree on spurs for the first time. The training was a great success and we look forward to our next event.
In Closing
Lastly, RTE has stayed busy over these last months and we have brought on a few new production employees. The character and drive of these members has me excited for their career here and ready to help them start their adventure into the canopy. While it is a slow process learning all of the necessary safety procedures and the processes for all that we do it is an exciting time. Nothing is more rewarding than watching someone progress through this industry and I am thankful to have the opportunity to be part of their future here are Russell Tree Experts.
From our little family here at Russell Tree Experts, I wish everyone the best out there and remember to stay safe.
Andy Bartram | Production Manager, Russell Tree Experts