The Mid-South District will provide Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) Basic Chainsaw
training on Saturday, May 17 from 8am to 4pm at Grace Lutheran Church 9076 Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville, TN 37923. 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 morning session will begin promptly at 8:00 a.m. The morning session will be classroom learning at the church. The afternoon session will be at a private residence. This address will be provided on the day of the training.
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 morning session will be indoors. All LERT qualified volunteers are invited to attend.
The afternoon session is hands-on with a chainsaw. Those wishing to participate in the hands-on training must attend the morning classroom session. Those wishing to volunteer as draggers or pullers only, need not attend the afternoon 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. If you are unsure of what to purchase, please wait until after the training as these recommendations will be discussed in class.
Those that are under the age of 18 will not be allowed to operate a chainsaw.
Training Costs:
For morning session only- $15.00
For both sessions (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 Grace Lutheran Church.
Please contact Rev. Trae Fistler if you have any questions about the training.
Email: pastor@faithhopkinsville.com. Cell phone: (515) 571-1378
