The Mid-South District will provide Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) Basic Chainsaw
training on Friday and Saturday, August 9-10. The chainsaw training serves to increase our dedicated LERT volunteer’s capabilities to help those who haven’t the means or skills to perform this dangerous work following a disaster. The District wants to equip LERT members with the ability to provide this service safely and efficiently. This training consists of two parts, an evening classroom session and a morning hands-on session that will be outdoors. Morning participants will be doing actual chainsaw activities.
The evening classroom session will be held at Hope Lutheran Church, 2415 E Main St Batesville, AR. Class will start promptly at 5:00 pm., 4:45 p.m. to complete registration and to receive class material.
The morning session will begin promptly at 8:00 a.m. The morning session will be outdoors from 8 am to noon at a private residence. The address will be provided Friday evening. Those participating in the Saturday morning session should bring water.
You must have previously completed the LERT basic training class to participate in this class.
During the training, you will learn the following:
Safe operation of a chainsaw
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Injury prevention
How to buck and limb fallen trees
How to clear debris in a safe and beneficial manner
Those at the age of 14 - 17 may attend the classroom portion and become a dragger but will not be able to become a puller or chainsaw operator until they have reached the age of 18.
The Friday evening session is classroom lecture style. All LERT qualified volunteers are invited to attend.
The Saturday morning session is hands-on with a chainsaw. Those wishing to participate in the hands-on training must attend Friday evening classroom session. Those wishing to volunteer as draggers or pullers only, need not attend this session.
Those wishing to attend both sessions should register for both.
To be authorized to use a chainsaw on LERT disaster responses as an LCMS LERT Chainsaw Operator, you must attend BOTH the classroom and "hands-on" sessions. Afternoon hands-on participants should bring, if they have:
Chainsaw, bar oil, gas-oil or synthetic fuel mix
Chaps and other Personal Protective Equipment (helmet, eye protection, gloves, steel-toed boots)
Participants must wear steel-toed work boots. Tennis shoes or sandals/flip-flops are not allowed in the outdoor session.
Outdoor work clothes and boots appropriate for the weather at the time. Shorts not allowed.
Some chainsaws and PPE will be available for training if you do not have your own.
Those that are under the age of 18 will not be allowed to operate a chainsaw.
Training Costs:
For evening session only- $15.00
For evening and morning session (LERT qualified Chainsaw Operator) - $25.00, includes training manual, certificate, new ID (for those attending both sessions). The fee includes the afternoon session for those participating.
Pay at the time of training, checks should be made to Hope Lutheran Church.
Please contact Rev. Trae Fistler if you have any questions about the training.
Email: pastor@faithhopkinsville.com. Cell phone: (515) 571-1378
Brian Mead, LERT Senior Chainsaw Trainer, will be mentoring Rev. Fistler during this training session.
