Trainings & Deployments From: LCMS Disaster Response & Training

Iowa District East - LCMS will be hosting a Basic LERT Training on May 1, 2026, at Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca. It will be immediately followed by aLERT Chainsaw Training. This is especially for congregations that already have LERT teams with congregational members who would like to be trained. Participants will learn how they and their congregation can serve their community in times of disaster in a safe and effective way. Topics to be covered will include:

Introduction to LCMS Disaster Response and LERT Congregation Preparedness Christian Care in Times of Disaster A Ministry of Presence Proclamation of the Word During Disaster Volunteer Opportunities Safety

Participants will receive a t-shirt, LERT ID card and a certificate of completion. A suggested fee of $10 is asked of participants and will be collected at the training. Supper is provided if you stay for Chainsaw Training! Your LERT trainer will distribute all training materials.

Questions? Please contact Daniel Sanchez at dsanchez@lcmside.org

The course will run from 2 PM to 5 PM on Friday, May 1, 2026. Please arrive by 1:45 PM to complete registration and sign in.

Iowa District East - LCMS (LERT) is hosting LERT Basic Chainsaw training on Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2, 2026. The training will be held at Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca.  The training will consist of 4 hours of instruction-based (Classroom Portion) on Friday evening, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The 6 hours of operation-based (Hands-On Portion) will start on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. You must be 18 years old and attend the classroom training on Friday night to participate in Saturday's hands-on training.

You must have completed Basic LERT Training in order to participate in this class. If you are not yet LERT trained, a Basic LERT class will be offered on May 1 from 2:00-5:00 p.m., immediately before the chainsaw class. 

Training Costs

The cost of the training is $25.00. Cash in the appropriate amount and checks made payable to Iowa District East (memo line - LERT training) will be accepted. Breakfast and lunch on Saturday will be provided.

All chainsaw participants must wear steel-toed boots.

A BASIC LERT Training 

During the training, you will learn the following:

Safe operation of a chainsawPersonal protective equipment (PPE)Injury preventionPhysics of cutting treesHow to buck and limb fallen treesHow to clear debris in a safe and beneficial manner

Don Church, LERT Chainsaw Trainer, will be leading the training session. If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact Daniel Sanchez at 319-389-0120 or email dsanchez@lcmside.org .