TCIA SAFETY AWARDS

Has one of your employees gone above and beyond to ensure safety and prevent a severe accident? Have they taken the initiative to teach their fellow crew members safer practices? Nominate them now for a TCIA Safety Award and bring prestige to your company name and recognition to your employees’ careers!

Nominations for the TCIA Safety Awards recognize outstanding actions in the previous calendar year.

The TCIA Safety Awards are a testament to exemplary performance in two essential areas:

  • The Outstanding Individual/Crew Performance Award honors individuals or crews who have demonstrated heroic reactions in emergencies, going the extra mile to ensure safety and prevent potential accidents.
  • The Outstanding Company Contribution Award celebrates TCIA members who have taken a proactive approach to addressing safety issues through their well-thought-out and implemented safety programs.

Show your appreciation to those who prioritize safety and deserve recognition. By nominating your employees for a TCIA Safety Award, you acknowledge their exceptional efforts and demonstrate your company’s commitment to promoting a safe and secure work environment.

Let’s celebrate those who make a difference and inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Join us in honoring the individuals and companies dedicated to upholding the highest safety standards within the tree care industry. Please take this opportunity to highlight the outstanding achievements of your employees and your company by nominating them for a TCIA Safety Award today!

2022 TCIA Safety Award Winners

Safety Award Plaques

Company Awards

SavATree developed and implemented a structured training program called “Tree Care Skills & Safety Trainers” that supported 74 national branches and 3-8 district branches. This training program has had an overall positive impact on safety, quality, productivity, and employee engagement. The SavATree trainers are leaders within the industry and keep up to date with technology, tools and techniques to ensure the proficiency and safety of their technical arborists.

In the not-too-distant past, Lucas Tree Experts adopted the “Trim for Zero” slogan. In 2022, they continued its journey for “Trim for ZERO with a focus on their “Believe in ZERO.” Although some may consider ZERO unachievable, they believe eliminating pain and suffering is worth the effort.

Their safety programs aim to achieve zero injuries, at-fault vehicle accidents, DOT violations, property/equipment damage, and environmental harm. They integrate safety into the organizations’ culture from the minute an applicant is interviewed and throughout the entire hiring and onboarding process.

This past year they returned to in-person safety meetings, resourced CTSPs as experts, and examined process, procedures, behaviors and workload factors that could contribute to events and created lessons learned.

Employees received the latest training, and the company promoted a culture of continuous improvement and commitment to safety and training. Building on efforts from 2021, they also utilized a survey platform to validate their tailgate safety training to improve the consistency of delivery methods, messages, and information. This data has been used to improve content for tailgate and safety meetings.

Lucas Tree Experts also used analytics to share improvements and opportunities across the organization, leveraging DOMO (software platform) to explore data to improve safety results. For example, their “Trim for ZERO incident rate” compares all events under their trim for ZERO umbrella based on total hours by supervisor.

The Bartlett Tree Expert (BTE) Safety Committee recognized the challenges production staff often face in knowing how to inspect gear and recognize equipment that needs to be replaced. Beginning in 2020, they commissioned a group of safety professionals and production staff to develop a guide for inspecting PPE and personal life support equipment.

This committee combed through regulatory requirements relevant to the countries Bartlett operates in, industry consensus standards, and manufacturer’s guides to identify key requirements and strategies for personal gear inspection. Synthesizing this research and practical input from field operations, the group created a cohesive and practical written guide for inspecting PPE and life support equipment that meets or exceeds industry standards.

The result was a Best Management Practices Guide: Personal Protective Equipment and Personal Life Support Equipment Inspections. It provides guidance on when, how, and who can inspect PPE and personal life support equipment as well as several inspection templates to guide and record inspections. Each section identifies crucial PPE and life-support equipment and gives practical information about common defects and wear points, what inspectors should look for during the inspection, and when a piece of equipment should be retired and replaced. The guide was completed and also printed into pocket-sized booklets.

Safety Awards for Individuals or Crews

Foreperson Jared Lowe and Trimmers Timothy Blankenship, Jack Whitt and Chance Keen were cleaning up storm damage on a right-of-way for Appalachian Power near a residence in Tazewell, Virginia in July when someone screamed for help. An elderly woman had fallen and severely broken her leg so severely that the bone was visible.

They helped administer first aid to get her bleeding under control and secure her leg as directed by emergency personnel while they waited for the ambulance. But it couldn’t reach the property because of storm damage so the paramedics used an ATV to reach the injured woman. The Asplundh crew helped secure her on a backboard and walked along with the ATV to ensure she made it to the ambulance safely.

Someone was found unresponsive on the ground at an office. Ian took control of the situation and delivered CPR until EMS arrived and saved the person’s life.

Raúl Vázquez and Alonso Mayorquin (passenger) were driving to their worksite when they heard a loud noise and saw some objects flying toward their cabin. Raúl tried to avoid the objects so they didn’t hit their cabin, but something did hit the stabilizer and cabinet. They learned it was the engine of a black Honda car that was spinning on the pavement as a result of a collision that had just occurred. Raúl and Alonzo took immediate action and went over to the driver of a red car that was in the collision to see if the man needed help and helped him get out of the vehicle. They took him to a safe place and ran to help the driver in the black car, but the doors were severely damaged so they couldn’t get them to open. They stayed at the scene until the paramedics and firefighters arrived. They were both congratulated by the sheriff and firefighters for saving the life of the driver in the red car.

Standout Safety Certificates

Dalton Scheeler was taking lunch in his truck at a local park when he smelled smoke and saw smoke beginning to rise nearby where a car had recently been parked. Dalton moved his truck to park closer to the location and discovered a fire, approximately two feet in diameter, had started to spread in a pile of dry pine needles. Dalton was able to extinguish the fire quickly with a combination of water, smothering, and separating the burn site to prevent spread. Within the burn site, he found a cigarette butt had been tossed into the pile of pine needles. Dalton notified local authorities and the fire department investigated the site to confirm the fire was completely extinguished. Thanks to Dalton’s actions, the fire did not have the opportunity to spread and cause significant damage within the park.

Jason witnessed an accident on the freeway. He pulled over to administer first aid to the injured person.

During work, Desmond noticed smoke rising from a nearby field. He drove to the scene and found a small ranch house on fire and people running away. Desmond immediately notified emergency officials, and when fire crews and police arrived, Desmond assisted them with unrolling the fire hose and containing the fire. Desmond’s quick response prevented a much larger fire from forming.

These leaders are giving back to the community by teaching people how to safely climb a tree, operate a chainsaw, operate a bucket truck, and operate a chip truck over 5-week courses throughout the year. This helps increase the pipeline of potential employees for various vegetation work, commercial, residential, and line clearance work that many of the tree companies are looking to hire. Arborworks appreciates their efforts in the community and are extremely proud of these team members.

Previous TCIA Safety Award Winners

Outstanding Company Contribution to Safety

  • SavATree
  • Rainbow Treecare
  • Hoppe Tree
  • Cumberland Valley Tree Service
  • The F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company
  • Lucas Tree Experts

Outstanding Individual Performance

  • Jason Duchon – Bartlett Tree Experts
  • Dylan Wenker – Wachtel Tree Science Inc.
  • William Duncan – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Jay Guilds – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Bryan Contreras – Gunnison Tree Services

  • Nick Spino, CTSP – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Shannon Hennessey – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Luis Vazquez – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Kyle Stutzman – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Joseph Sternagle – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Gary Davis – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Eric Bullock – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Ryan Gustafson – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Chuck Hanna – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Joe Hansen – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Katie Karl – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Nikki McDermond-Spies – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Emily Morton – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Gary Mortel – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Gail Nozal – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Hector Posas – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Benjamin Rietz – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Melissa Seidel – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Jack Spadafore – The Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Josh Brown – Lewis Tree Service, Inc
  • Victoria McKane – Lewis Tree Service, Inc
  • Rhett Miller Crew – Lewis Tree Service, Inc

  • Jesus Lopez – Rainbow Treecare
  • Korey Conry, CTSP – P31 Enterprises, Inc
  • Brent Oberlink – Lanracorp, Inc.
  • Jay Sturm – Cranes 101
  • Jim Tough – SavATree

  • Almstead Tree & Shrub Care Company
  • Arborwell
  • Bartlett Tree Experts
  • Lucas Tree Experts
  • SavATree
  • Emmons Tree & Landscape Service

  • Bartlett Tree Experts – Andrew Heim
  • Davey Tree Expert Co. – Alexander Brown
  • Davey Tree Expert Co. – Charles Blankenship
  • Davey Tree Expert Co. – David Balint
  • Davey Tree Expert Co. – Justin Stone
  • Davey Tree Expert Co. – Mark Noriega
  • Davey Tree Expert Co. – Theodore D. Trice
  • Kramer Tree Specialists – Phil Reth, Tom Phistry, Bulmaro Jalapa, Pete Zamudio
  • Lewis Tree Service – William Pearson
  • Lewis Tree Service – Alexia Moreno, Lomberto Echane and Daniel Cuellar
  • Lucas Tree Experts – Andrew Singletary
  • Petree Arbor Lawn & Landscape, INC. – Scottie Hembree
  • Wright Tree Service – Jeff East
  • Wright Tree Service – Skyler Rambel

  • Arbor Masters
  • Arborwell
  • Bartlett Tree Experts
  • Lewis Tree Service
  • Lucas Tree Experts
  • SavATree
  • Vine & Branch, Inc.

TCIA recognizes individuals or crews within its member companies for exemplary performance in the area of accident prevention or acts of heroism.

  • Arborwell – Juan Silva
  • Bartlett Tree Experts – Alberto Ramon-Grarcia and Bryan Waters
  • Davey Tree – Chris Weitoish, Matt Smith and Ron Weitoish
  • Davey Tree – Miguel Melgar, Jonathan Mayhew, Lamont Phipps and Tomas Enrique
  • Davey Tree – Scott Martin
  • Davey Tree – Jay Casil
  • Davey Tree – Tinashe Nathan Kuimba
  • Davey Tree – Connor Kaufmann
  • Davey Tree – Jose Garcia
  • Davey Tree – Monica Wirick
  • Lewis Tree Service – Antonio Camargo, Dustin Brown
  • Lewis Tree Service – Shawn Jones, David Boyd, Mark Giannetto, Glen Orts, Rob Gaston and Rickie Wolvington
  • Lucas Tree – Emily Garside
  • Lucas Tree – Ethan Martin-Hunt, Aaron Sabin and Kwang Phaung
  • Sandborn Tree – Ruben Ruiz Ruiz and Chip Sandborn
  • SavATree – Eric Snyder
  • Shadywood – DeAngo Harbin

  • Arborwell
  • Chippers Inc.
  • Davey Tree
  • Lucas Tree
  • SavATree
  • Taddiken Tree Company
  • Vine & Branch
  • Wachtel

TCIA recognizes individuals or crews within its member companies for exemplary performance in the area of accident prevention or acts of heroism.

  • Arborwell – Juan Esquivel
  • Arborwell – Marcelino Rios and Adan Caballero
  • Arborwell – Rolando Miramontes
  • F. A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company – Victor Nakashima
  • Caldwell Tree Care – Terry Ferdarko, Mike Bederian, Wayne Germon and Andy Farbotko
  • Caldwell Tree Care – James Foote, Terry Ferdarko, Dave Loring, Willie Catlin and Joe Schifani
  • Davey Tree – Mathew Shepherd
  • Henderson’s Tree Service – Joe Town
  • Lewis Tree Service – Armando Marichal, Artemio Irizarry and Dionisio Rivas
  • Lewis Tree Service – Ian Clark
  • Lucas Tree – Lloyd Glenn
  • Rainbow Tree – Tyler Lang
  • SavATree – Ben Zomer and Mike Tilford
  • Wachtel – Kyle Babicky
  • Wachtel – Allison Rodefor, Holly Zart and Johanna Smith
  • Wright Tree Service – Brian Crowe, Wayne Larsen, Chad Wallace and Martin Jones
  • Wright Tree Service – Derek Bedford, flaggers Leslie Mills and James Kruger, trimmer Scott Heiner and apprentice Matt Carter
  • Wright Tree – Nicholas Polhamus and Tyler Joehlin
  • Wright Tree – Jordan Sutherland

  • F. A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company
  • Chippers, Inc.
  • Arborwell
  • Lucas Tree
  • Rainbow Treecare
  • SavATree
  • Vine and Branch, Inc.

TCIA recognizes individuals or crews within its member companies for exemplary performance in the area of accident prevention or acts of heroism.

  • Arborwell – Bill Owen
  • Arborwell – David Vega
  • Barts Tree Service – Matt Bartelme
  • Lewis Tree Service – Joel Perdomo, Juan Fuentes, Jorge A. Reyes Navarrete
  • Lucas Tree – West Bello and Chris Everest
  • Lucas Tree – Justin Cope and Andrew Singletary
  • Lucas Tree – James Wright and Noah Loftus
  • F. A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company – Nathan Franklin and Trevor Coey
  • SavATree – Robert Schaaf
  • Wright Tree Service – Alex Carr, Paul Dunklau, Jeremy Nailer, Joshua Wewer
  • Wright Tree Service – Jeff East, Dean Shelton, Damon Allen, Teddy Green, Alekzandr Echelle, Tyler Cole, Kyle Driggers, Russell Morris and Daniel Nielsen
  • Wright Tree Service – Todd Ostoff, Sean Catron, Shane Purdie and Juan Rodriguez
  • Wright Tree Service – Zack Norris
  • CN Utility Consulting – Tim McCunn
  • CN Utility Consulting – John Muegge

  • Clark Garreau, Ossian Batchelder – Belknap Landscape
    Individuals do their jobs thoroughly and conscientiously; have received customer testimonials.
  • Jesse Hencz – Family Tree Service
    Individual doing his job exceptionally well.
  • Clark Gareau, CTSP and Ossian Batchelder – Belknap Landscape
    Exemplary performance of their day-to-day safety activities.
  • Lacardo Davis, Ernest Berlin, James Todd, Larry Jackson, Cameron Strickland, Anthony Gainey – Carolina Tree Care
    Exemplary DOT inspection.
  • Leo Roldan – SavATree
    Proactive efforts to improved safety, especially in the Hispanic tree worker community.

TCIA recognizes individuals or crews within its member companies for exemplary performance in the area of accident prevention or acts of heroism.

  • Paul Sisk & Andrew Steed – Bartlett Tree Experts
    Came to the aid of a victim having a seizure.
  • Seth Carter, Paul Hahn & Leo Velasco – Ahlum & Arbor Tree Preservation
    Came to the aid of and performed CPR on a victim on a golf course.
  • Hudson Puente – Bridge Wood Tree Care Services 
    Rescued a drowning victim from a pool and performed CPR.
  • Charles Huggins, Jr., William Huggins & Travis McGirt – Carolina Tree Care
    Came to the aid of a man trapped in a burning house and a woman trying to gain access.
  • Sergio Lopez – Davey Tree
    Rescued someone from a burning building using his bucket truck.
  • Mike Horneber – Davey Tree
    Came to the aid of an elderly couple after they were involved in a car accident.
  • Dan Genness – Lucas Tree Expert Co.
    Warned people away from an energized pole and ground wire.
  • Todd Turner – Lucas Tree Expert Co.
    Came to the aid of an infant suffering heat exhaustion.
  • Brandon Miller & Andrea Johnson – Rainbow Treecare
    Provided care and comfort to an elderly homeowner who had fallen and broken his arm.
  • John Kerst – Wright Tree Service
    Removed a police officer and a homeowner from the danger of an arcing underground transformer.

  • Arborguard Tree Specialists (Atlanta Office)
  • The Lucas Tree Expert Company
  • SavATree
  • Wright Tree Service

  • Quillan Smith and Gerard Smith; Global Environmental Solutions, Inc.
  • Orlando Negron, SavATree
  • Chet Mercer, Bladamir Morales, and Julio Chonoo; Carolina Tree Care
  • Ryan Rodefer, Wachtel Tree Science
  • Eric Davidson, Shawn Jenkins, Taylor Davidson, and Mike Rhodes; Wright Tree Service
  • Bill Ruitta and Tom Loree; Trees, Inc.

  • Bartlett Tree Experts, Division Three
  • Lucas Tree Experts
  • Brothers Tree Service
  • Davey Tree Expert Company
  • Carolina Tree Care
  • Caldwell Tree Care
  • SavATree
  • Bartlett Tree Experts

  • Bennie Wilson, Carolina Tree Care
  • Jess Paulson, Erik Herberg, John Fiek and Adam Lobitz; Wright Tree Service
  • Erik Herberg, Wright Tree Service
  • Andy Burns, Raul Serrano, Preston Scott, Paul Dill; Wright Tree Service
  • Kevin Christenberry, Wright Tree Service
  • Nathan Jones, Wright Tree Service
  • Jesus Ortiz and Juan Gonzalez; Wright Tree Service
  • Elio Mendez and Gonzalo Flores, SavATree
  • Donny Coffey, Bartlett Tree Experts

  • Vine & Branch
  • Lucas Tree
  • Owen Tree Service
  • Arborwell
  • Bartlett Tree Experts
  • Arboriculture Canada Training & Education, Ltd.

  • Christopher Towerton, Lewis Tree Service
  • Don Libby, Lucas Tree
  • Six Wright Tree Service crews
  • Two Townsend Tree Service crews
  • Four Nelson Tree Service individuals/crews
  • Jairo Salgado, Arborwell
  • Wachtel Tree Science & Service crew of Ryan Rodefer, Nathan Schuettpelz and Cody Austin

  • Vine & Branch Tree Service
  • Trees Inc.
  • S & S Tree and Landscaping Specialists
  • Lucas Tree Experts
  • Davey Tree Expert Company
  • The Bartlett Tree Expert Company
  • Arborwell

  • Three Wright Tree Service crews
  • Richard Burt, trimmer with Trees, Inc.
  • Townsend crew of Terry Willett, Dan Aston and Corey Cooper
  • Jonathan Hensley, Carolina Tree Care
  • Marc Rayfield and Jaime Tucker, Carolina Tree Care
  • Wayne Harris, Chad Chrisawn and Matt Murphy, Carolina Tree Care
  • Terry Williams, Josh Perry and Ben Perry, Carolina Tree Care
  • Chris Turner and Ricky Ramirez, Carolina Tree Care
  • Wilber Larios, The Bartlett Tree Expert Company
  • Six Asplundh crews, worldwide

  • Arborwell
  • Embark Tree & Landscape Services
  • Lucas Tree Experts’
  • Townsend Tree Service
  • Vine & Branch Inc.Lewis Tree Service

  • Foreman Dan Williams and his crew, Wright Tree
  • General Foreman Cesar Bustos, Wright Tree
  • Roger Baynum, Townsend Tree Service
  • Gary Shaffer, Lucas Tree
  • Marc Rayfield, Jaime Tucker and Jeffery Richards, Carolina Tree Care
  • Rob Springer, CTSP, The Bartlett Tree Expert Company

  • Lucas Tree Expert Co. Inc.
  • S & S Tree & Horticultural Specialists, Inc.
  • Townsend Tree Service Co., Inc.
  • University of Massachusetts & Bartlett Tree Experts
  • Vine & Branch, Inc.

  • Sean Schanbacher, Bartlett Tree Experts
  • Robert Wells, Townsend Tree Service Co., Inc.