By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor
[img_assist|nid=7716|title=DR Tree Jack|desc=Disaster Relief chain saw teams from across Louisiana met at Dry Creek Baptist Camp to receive tree jacks invented by Mark Robin of Carey Baptist Association and orientation on the devices that enable DR teams to do jobs that without it would require a lifting device such as a crane.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=471]LAKE CHARLES – Responding to Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina and Rita, the members of Carey Baptist Association’s Disaster Relief chain saw unit saw a need for a tool that would assist them to remove trees from houses and objects.
Mark Robin of First Baptist Church in Moss Bluff in 2007 built a jack that would enable the team to support the weight of a tree and to eliminate the weight of the tree from a house or object. This “tree jack” enabled jobs to be performed that previously would have needed a lifting device such as a crane, back-hoe or track hoe.
After removing all the weight of the tree’s canopy to expose the portion of the tree that was bearing weight on the house, the jack could then be used to transfer the weight of the tree from the house to the jack, using a 6-ton bottle jack.
This allowed for the tree to be removed from the house without further damage and also created a safer environment for the tree to be removed.
Beauregard’s DR chainsaw unit got the second tree jack.
After seeing the interest of out-of-state DR chainsaw units in the tool when Carey’s DR chain saw unit responded in the aftermath of tornadoes in Geraldine, Ala., Robin shared the specs of his invention, and Robin’s brother-in-law offered to donate material for the Louisiana chain saw units that wanted one. Ten more did.
Mark Robin and Ed Reed fabricated the material. Kelly Pump and Supply of Lake Charles drilled the holes for the piston portion of the jack and had the tree jacks blasted and primed.
The teams recently met at Dry Creek Baptist Camp to receive their tree jacks and a short orientation.