The Oklahoma District will provide Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) Basic Chainsaw training on Saturday, March 14. The chainsaw training serves to increase our dedicated LERT volunteers' capabilities to help those who don’t have the means or skills to perform this dangerous work following a disaster. The District wants to equip LERT members to provide this service safely and efficiently.
This training consists of two parts: a morning classroom session and an afternoon hands-on session outdoors.
The morning classroom session will be a lecture-style class and will be held at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3700 Woodland Rd., Bartlesville, OK. All LERT-qualified volunteers are invited to attend. Please arrive by 7:30 a.m. to complete registration and to receive class material. The morning session will begin promptly at 8:00 a.m.
The afternoon session is hands-on with a chainsaw. Those wishing to participate in the hands-on training must attend the morning classroom session. The afternoon session will be held outdoors from Noon to 4:00 p.m. (or later if needed) at a private residence. The address will be provided at the morning session. You must have previously completed the LERT basic training class and the morning classroom session to participate in this class. Those wishing to attend both sessions should register for both.
Those aged 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. Others wishing to volunteer as draggers or pullers only, need not attend the afternoon session.
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 should be appropriate for the weather at the time. Shorts are not allowed. Some chainsaws and PPE will be available for training if you do not have your own. Those who are under the age of 18 will not be allowed to operate a chainsaw.
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
Training Costs:
- For morning session only: $15.00
- For morning and afternoon sessions (LERT-trained Chainsaw Operator): $20.00, includes training manual, certificate, and ID (for those attending both sessions).
- Pay at the time of training, checks should be made out to Redeemer Lutheran Church.
A lunch will be provided before the afternoon session.
Please contact Denny Rader if you have any questions about the training.
Email: okdrfom@gmail.com. Cell phone: (918) 946-7961
