Sad, Firefighter Dies Doing Tree Work.

[top_notch]

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/...-firefighter-dies-after-tree-cutting-accident

Would be interesting to see the tree. I have two uncles who work for JFRD but at different stations than the man who passed away. The firefighter did work at a station that specialized in Hi angle rescue. Wonder if he made a mistake or just didn't notice the tree was rotten or something. Maybe he took too big a piece. OR if there was a person roping it, he or she didn't let it run. The possibilities are endless. I look forward to getting the whole scoop. RIP Mr. Bishop

 

[woodworkingboy]

Damn...again.

 

[MasterBlaster]

So, he was a tree surgeon? Or, did he kill himself?

Sad.

 

[top_notch]

He was doing side work, trimming or removing a tree for someone. I don't think his death was intentional.

 

[MasterBlaster]

No, I mean he killed himself because he didn't know what he was doing - or he did and it was a freak accident. It sounds like his groundie made the mistake.

 

[woodworkingboy]

The article seems to give the impression that he sometimes might have taken on more than he was qualified to do safely.

 

[MasterBlaster]

People should stick to stuff they're trained for.

 

[top_notch]

I agree, I'm not sure what happened exactly. The article is pretty vague. Looking forward to finding out more. I wonder if the HO was the groundie. I know its not good, but I have done lots of side jobs where the HO will run ropes and pull things. But needless to say none of the rope work was very hard (no letting the piece run) Only hold stuff up so it didn't crush something below.

Would be terribly sad IF it was an inexperienced groudie's fault. I wonder how that would go over in the court of law.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Using a homeowner to pull is one thing, but using their rope is definitely another.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Or taking too big a piece.

 

[vharrison]

I agree, I'm not sure what happened exactly. The article is pretty vague. Looking forward to finding out more. I wonder if the HO was the groundie. I know its not good, but I have done lots of side jobs where the HO will run ropes and pull things. But needless to say none of the rope work was very hard (no letting the piece run) Only hold stuff up so it didn't crush something below.

Would be terribly sad IF it was an inexperienced groudie's fault. I wonder how that would go over in the court of law.

No,no,no never let a homeowner run your ropes. Never, ever. If the homeowner is trying save money like that, you do not want to work for him.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Meh, simple stuff is acceptable... and I DO mean simple.

 

[vharrison]

Would be terribly sad IF it was an inexperienced groudie's fault. I wonder how that would go over in the court of law.

Wouldn't you agree that a homeowner is an inexperienced person to help on the ground or with the ropes? Court of law? Depends on who is suing who, if the homeowner is suing you, my money is on him. You suing the homeowner, good luck.

If you can not afford the proper help, don't do the job. Your life is worth it.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I work with inexperienced people all the time. They're called groundies...

 

[vharrison]

I work with inexperienced people all the time. They're called groundies...

Clearly, they have not read and trained with your piece on groundies. Maybe you should have a sticky with that as a guide. If a groundie doesn't pass the muster, don't work with them.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Sad indeed

 

[MasterBlaster]

I have no control over the people I work with / for.

 

[top_notch]

Like I said if its simple enough then I think its ok. I'm talking tiny jobs removing a limb or three from a tree, when you just need someone to hold on to a rope and then lower a piece down. I can't see the harm in that. One just has to know where to draw the line. The HO's I used to work with while I was in college were usually friends or friends of friends and had their heads put on straight. There's tree workers I have worked with before that I wouldn't use ahead of some of the HO's I've worked with.

I also think that if you can explain well enough what you are doing up in the tree and what you expect of them and what is going to happen when you cut the piece the HO can be prepared for their job and do it accordingly.

At the same time I haven't worked with HO's in a few years...I am employed full time for a tree Co here and have no time for side work.

 

[Altissimus]

.. sad one

 

[SouthSoundTree]

I have no control over the people I work with / for.

So, Butch, as a contract climber, how do you try to mitigate for their inexperience? Cut and catch things yourself, extra stretchy rope like True Blue or Dynasorb/ Polydyne, avoid roping AMAP?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Basically, cut smaller pieces.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

As in your avatar !

 

[gf beranek]

A good friend once told me, "Jer, it's not what you see that's going to get you hurt. It's what you don't see."

And with what he said I can amend, "We take chances at times when we know better."

Been there and done it. And I've learned some pretty valuable lessons in both schools of thought.

I am a damn lucky man to be alive. Narrowly escaping death on both accounts. Ignorant and foolish.

 

[Paul B]

Bet you will never read 'Arborist dies using jaws of life to extract vehicle occupants". I know a few firefighters and cops that landscape out here, I tell them the same thing. Your hobby is my career.

 

[SkwerI]

Jerry, one adage I've repeated often over the years is that accidents happen when two people aren't paying attention or screw up at the same time. We all have slips all the time that usually result in nothing bad happening. Many years of working with inattentive groundmen taught me to always try to pay attention to myself as well as them, because they rarely pay attention and one slip on my part could be disastrous. It was always easier working with a groundman who could not only pay attention to his own surroundings but also pay attention to me and look out for me in case I missed something. When both people are constantly paying attention to everything then an accident is much less likely. Almost all of the time at least one person will catch it.