by Heather Hanson / Jody Dickson
Saws & Slaws Chainsaw Skills and Safety Class 2019
There couldn’t have been better weather for the two day Chainsaw Skills and Safety Class for 2019. Everyone gathered at Fire Station #2 to learn how to safely use and maintain our chainsaws. In the class, we learn to break down our saws, clean and sharpen them, what protective gear to have, and the best part, how to make cuts and fell a tree! It is really empowering to have these skills in your mountain resident arsenal. If you didn’t attend our Spring session you definitely will want to make time for the next one! Thanks to a generous grant from United Power, the class was really affordable for home owners and budding chainsaw operators! Special thanks to our instructors, Eric Philips, Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, Rocky Mountain Resource Protection and Eric Folwell, Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, Rocky Mountain Resource Protection NWCG ENGB and Forestry Consultant to Boulder County. Also, many thanks to the sawyers that came out to coach the newest operators.
Saws & Slaws Awarded a Grant!
We are thrilled to have been awarded a capacity grant from Coalitions & Collaboratives, Inc, which will allows us to hire someone to work for Saws & Slaws as a paid employee. As you can imagine, sometimes it is not easy to do what we want to do when we are entirely driven by volunteers. Even volunteers have other priorities in their lives, so they are not able to do everything they want to do, either. We are very grateful for all the volunteers both in leadership and on the ground that have gotten us to this point… AND we still need you!!! Meanwhile, this grant will allow us to hire someone who can help us fulfill our big goals around engaging high risk communities, planning our season well in advance, and building the infrastructure for us to support other communities in implementing Saws & Slaws type events. By having someone paid to do this work, we will have better organized and more impactful events throughout the Coal Creek Canyon community… and maybe, one day, our neighboring communities as well. As with most grants, this is a matching fund grant, so we have to cover half of the expenses of this person. We have a plan for how to do that, but if you have any ideas, please share them. Organizational, business, personal support is always welcome. At press time, we are finishing up our paperwork and will be posting the position soon. By the time he or she is hired, we’ll be into the start of our season, but that will be a good way to learn what we do and what we need to be done. Thank you to the Coalitions & Collaboratives for awarding us this grant, and thank you to the team of people that helped us complete the application, including, but not limited to, the CCCFPD and Crescent Park HOA. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Safety Tip of the Month: Inspect your Chainsaw
Before every use of your chainsaw, be sure to do a thorough visual inspection of it. Having a chainsaw that is in good operating condition will help prevent problems and keep you safe. Make sure the chain is sharp. Many chains have service and wear marks to ensure that cutting angles are correct and that there is enough of the tooth left to be effective and safe. Your chain should also have appropriate tension. A loose chainsaw chain increases the risk of kickback as well as the chances of the saw chain being thrown off the guide bar. Make sure your air filter is clean and that your drive socket is lubricated and clean of debris. Check that your bar oil is full and, once the saw is on, that it is flowing as it should. A chain that moves slowly at idle is likely due to worn down clutch that should be replaced to prevent the operator from being cut accidentally. Last but not least, check the five safety features of your chainsaw are in good condition and will work when needed: the handguard, chain brake, chain catcher, throttle lock and rear handle. Ensuring that your chainsaw is in good shape will help keep you in good shape while using it!
May Events
Wildfire Preparedness Workshop
April 27th, 2019 9 am – 1 pm
CCCIA Hall
Don’t miss our comprehensive wildfire workshop. We will present the latest information that will help you prepare for a wildfire in our community. Much continues to be learned after the devastating fires of the last few years, so it is important to stay informed of the current recommendations around how to prepare, how to reduce the negative impacts and how to survive those impacts when they happen. Since we live in a fire-adapted ecosystem, we know that it is a question of when, not if, a fire impacts our community.
We will be covering:
– mitigating your structure and landscape
– specific risks for Coal Creek Canyon
– preparing for evacuation, including for your pets & animals
– ensuring you have adequate insurance coverage
– resources to help with all of the above!
Presentations will be made by: Boulder County Wildfire Partners, Boulder/Jeffco/Gilpin County Emergency Managers, Coal Creek Canyon Fire Rescue, Saws & Slaws and more! (It takes a village to serve our community!)
We choose to live in our beautiful Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)). This session will help us be good stewards of each of our little pieces of it to the benefit of our forests, fire fighters and community!
We look forward to see you there. Be sure to invite your neighbors, too!!
2019 Season Applications Now Open
Saws and Slaws is now taking applications for neighborhood events for 2019. Now is the time to talk to your neighbors about getting on the schedule for next Spring and Summer. Get out, connect with those in your proximity, and vow to get your properties safer and healthier. Got questions? Call Us! (303) 642-0273. http://sawsandslaws.org .
Saws and Slaws is a 501(c)3 organization committed to Building Stronger Communities Through A Healthier Forest. Find out more at http://sawsandslaws.org and Join Us!
