Chainsaw certification class

[azdrawdy]

We are having a class this weekend. Tonight (for new certifications) and tomorrow (new certs and re-fam for those who are previously certified).

I would hesitate to say it is for a select few. There are not a lot of us certified, and I for one welcome more people. I believe we have 5 or 6 new people this weekend. The people that get certified are the ones who have shown up at numerous work parties and/or monthly meetings and expressed an interest. Most of us have waited a minimum of 12 - 24 months to get in a class. These classes can take months to set up since we use local USFS sawyers and a "master" sawyer from the USFS in NC.

[seenvic]

Someone should give a short talk on not cutting everything just because they are out there w/ a saw.

I'd like to know who is certified.

[seenvic]

Beer and buritos are just two good reasons to go to SORBACSRA meetings.

Another is knowing about things like chainsaw cert classes.

[Angela]

It is hard to get these classes set up because the trainer comes out of Atlanta. In addition the people who attend the classes have to become certified in first aid and CPR (not offered through the USFS) to become chainsaw certified.

There are only so many slots available to us in the class (generally 5 or 6) - the USFS has to offer the class to other user groups as well (horse folks, hikers, etc). With so few slots and infrequent classes once a person becomes certified there is a certain expection of obligation for certified sawyers to come out and cut trees when we have workparties needing certified sawyers.

If a person is not someone who is a regular at the work parties we schedule, it is unlikely we would risk giving up a slot to someone who might rarely be available when we need them so those slots are usually reserved for work party regulars.