Tree trimmers go out on a limb for training

Several orange-shirted Arbor Tech employees could be seen dangling from a 65-foot Eucalyptus tree at the Yuma County fairgrounds on Friday.

Instead of cutting its branches like they would usually do, they were high above the ground going through an intensive training course to carry out basic aerial rescue techniques.

Arbor Tech co-owner Frank Saldana said the training is intended not only to help protect their employees, but also allows them to meet their aerial rescue training requirement.

"In order to become a certified tree worker, this is one of the certifications they need to get," Saldana said.

Saldana added the two-day training also gives the employees the knowledge and skills needed to evaluate an emergency situation and potentially rescue an injured tree worker.

"When properly done by a certified tree worker it is very safe," Saldana said. "You still need to be very careful."

In addition to the aerial rescue training, the Arbor Tech employees were also learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation and basic first aid techniques.

Saldana said the training is very unique to the Yuma area, and to his knowledge has only been conducted once or twice before.

The company brought in a trainer from California, who was a certified aborist qualified to teach aerial rescue training, CPR and first aid.

As part of the training on Friday, the five Arbor Tech employees each took turns climbing the tree using a rope and harness to rescue a 155-pound dummy during a simulated emergency.

"God forbid, but if one of our tree workers, or any other tree worker in town, ever gets into a situation where they need to be brought out of a tree, we know the how to use the proper rigging to bring him safely to the ground where medical personnel can attend to him," Saldana said.

One of the reasons why it is important for tree workers to know how to conduct an aerial rescue is that the lift on the bucket trucks they sometimes use, won't raise high enough to reach someone in a tall tree.

While Friday was spent among the branches, Saldana said Saturday, the second day of the training, would be spent learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation and basic first aid techniques.

Saldana went on to say that tree workers across the country get injured every day, and due to the dangerous nature of their jobs, an emergency can happen any time they are aloft, so it's important they know how to react.

James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.