LCC Disaster Response Hosted Tim Ard’s Three-Day Intensive Advanced Chainsaw Training

Lutheran Church Charities Disaster Response hosted a three-day intensive Felling, Limbing, Bucking, Storm Clean-up Chainsaw Training led by Tim Ard, ISA Certified Arborist and President of Forest Applications, Inc., at Walcamp in Kingston, Illinois. Tim Ard is also the LCMS Disaster Response recommended trainer for all LCMS chainsaw certified instructors.

Currently, Ed Boerman, Alan Holm, Marty Johnson, and Pete Springmire are recognized LCMS chainsaw instructors, having completed this same Tim Ard training over the past several years. Therefore, it was their recommendation to have LCC bring him to our district to provide this advanced training to a select group of chainsaw operators to improve our skills, safety, and professionalism when responding to disasters. Participants who were invited to take this advanced training are LCC Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T.) chainsaw team leaders or those being mentored as future chainsaw team leaders.

LCC paid $5,500 to have Tim Ard present this training, and volunteer participant donations have covered $2,950. Everyone who participated in this training felt they learned so much that will improve their chainsaw work proficiency. Some of the skills learned were how to cut good hinges and notches for felling trees, make bore cuts, recognize potential hazards, and how to safely buck limbs.
 
Dave Schlesselman, one of the chainsaw operators who participated in the training last week, stated, “What I learned from Tim last week will make a profound difference in how I work at all future sites. My safety and the safety of those around me will dramatically improve, my productivity will dramatically improve, and my ability to explain the "hows" and "whys" of the approaches we take to team members will be significantly better.”
 
CLICK HERE to watch a video from the training.
 
LCC thanks the following L.E.R.T. chainsaw operators for their participation and willingness to share what they have learned with other team members when deployed for safe and efficient chainsaw storm clean up.

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Illinois
Good Shepherd, Frankfort – Joel Powless
Heartland, Normal – Tony Buchberger
Immanuel, Belvidere – Mike Buhl
Immanuel, DeKalb – Pete Springmire
Immanuel, Dundee – Matt Flynn
Lord of Life, LaFox – Kevin Krage, Vince Miller, Larry Zagorski
Messiah, Sterling – Jacob Beets
Prince of Peace, Palatine – Jim Beckley
Shepherd of the Hills, McHenry – Alan Holm
St. John, Wheaton – Marty Johnson, Dave Schlesselman
St. Peter, Schaumburg – Ken Kiviranta
Trinity, Lisle – Ed Boerman
 
Wisconsin
St. Paul, Grafton – Mark Brueggemann
 
LCC also thanks Jan Boerman, Kent Worrell, and Skip and Karen Sorenson from the Trinity Lisle L.E.R.T. team for providing, cooking, and serving a delicious steak dinner for all to enjoy one evening.

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