We find ourselves in April 2020 at the time of writing this page. We support the Government’s response to the dreadful scourge of viral infection plaguing our state and country. For sure, it is a bitter medicine. But, together, we shall overcome this national emergency.
How We Have Changed our Operations
We have heavily modified our way of working in strict compliance accordance with up-to-date guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This protects our customers and our crew from becoming infected and spreading COVID-19. We are also amending the way we work by keeping current with:
– Local public health advice
– Directives from State Government
– Advice from Tree Industry Bodies
State Governor’s Orders
Under the orders issued by the Governors of Most States, only those providing ‘Essential Services’ can continue to serve the public at large. In accordance with this and subsequent state Government Directives, we are only able to provide those services which are essential to keep people and property safe. Whenever these orders are active, we are only able to provide emergency services such as:
– removal of hazardous trees
– removal of hazardous tree branches
– treatment or removal of invasive species of tree pests
– emergency tree service
– emergency tree removal service
On 23rd March 2020, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) issued a joint statement on a recommended list of Essential and Non-Essential Services for our industry.
Tree Services we can provide during the emergency:
The full list of 11 tree services classed as ‘Essential’ is shared below word-for-word from the joint statement:
- Hazard Tree Removal or Removal of a Dangerous Tree
- Pruning of dead, dying or dangerous limbs
- Treatment For Invasive Insects which if left untreated would rapidly destroy a tree causing a hazard
- Utility Line Clearance
- Road Safety Clearance
- Cabling or Bracing a hazardous tree
- Mitigating Storm Damage
- Emergency Response Readiness
- Treatment for Ticks and Mosquitos or other public health treatments
- Removal of Fire-Damaged or Fuel Trees in a Fire Hazard Area
- Assessment of Hazard Trees or Pest Issues For The Purpose of Removal or Treatment as described above
Tree Services we cannot perform during the emergency:
Furthermore, the TCIA and ISA have clarified those tree services which are regarded as Non-Essential:
- Routine tree trimming/ pruning
- Shrub trimming or pruning
- Routine tree removal when no abnormal safety issues exist
- Vista pruning
- Tree or Shrub Planting
- Installation of Irrigation
- Tree Fertilization
- Pest management that does not involve invasive pests, borers, or disease that can rapidly destroy trees
Until the restrictions on our operations are over, we can only perform permitted list of 11 essential services. There’s a link to the full TCIA/ISA statement here: https://www.isa-arbor.com/Newsroom/ArtMID/767/ArticleID/308/ISA-TCIA-Joint-Statement
Professional Tree Service Operators Play A Vital Role
Only experienced tree experts e.g. certified arborists can identify the extent of the hazard, how much tree to remove, whether the remaining tree structure is safe and whether any infestation is from an invasive tree pest …or not.
So until the emergency is over, we can only visit your property to execute the first list of services outlined above.
In the meantime, we are happy to discuss your requirements over the phone and, if necessary, schedule a visit once the emergency situation is over.
Our Priority Is To Protect Our Customers and Our Workers
Even after the emergency is over, we shall continue to be vigilant. The measures necessary to avoid a resurgence of the disease will mean continued strict adherence to working practices advocated by the CDC. This means the changes we have already implemented in the way we interact with our customers and the way our crew work together will be embedded more firmly into our operations.
These extra precautions include:
- All workers will wear masks and gloves.
- We will also maintain a social distance with our customers.
- We offer zero contact tree service estimates via photos or video chat (e.g. FaceTime).
- Payments are being made virtually online/remotely or through mail.
We stand ready to protect our local communities and comply with any new safety and health regulations.
In the meantime, we hope that you and your family remains safe and healthy at this difficult time.