It’s June and we’re all busy.  Surveyors all over the State are reporting that they’re as busy, or busier, than they were prior to the pandemic. That’s a good thing for everyone; there’s plenty of work to go around.

I had a good mentor early in my career who stressed attention to detail, especially when times are busy. It’s easy to fall into a trap of becoming complacent when we rush. We overlook things. We stop paying attention. Accidents happen. Those accidents may be as relatively harmless as forgetting to fill the water jug in the truck. Those accidents may have terrible consequences.

One time as I (working alone) was hurrying to set a control point on the side of a busy street, I parked the truck (a large Ford F150) in a position to partially block the traffic. I had quickly thrown the cones out and turned on all of the flashing lights I had. I grabbed a cotton spindle and hammer, set the point in the asphalt right in front of the truck, and painted it appropriately. The point was so close to the truck, in fact, that at one point, I’d set the hammer on the center of the front bumper of the truck because it was, conveniently, right there.

I was moving fast. Fast enough that I didn’t shut the truck off. The whole process took, maybe, two minutes, and close to half of that was putting out and collecting the cones. I grabbed the hammer, closed the rear shell, and jumped back in, and was about to head to my next control location.

It was at that moment I realized, in my hurry to get the job done, that I hadn’t been paying attention - I left the truck in Drive.  I’d set the emergency brake - like I had thousands of times before - but in my rush I got complacent (some may say lazy) and I neglected to take the truck out of gear. I parked the truck to protect me from the traffic, but the only thing protecting me from the truck was the emergency brake.

I released the brake and the truck lurched forward, into an intersection, with two minutes of pent-up energy.

I didn’t think much of it at the time, but so many "what if” scenarios have gone through my head in the years since. My vehicle parking habits are now so engrained - Park, E-Brake, Engine Off, Key-in-Hand, Open Door - it’s bordering genuflection. (Ask my wife; it makes her crazy.)

All that said, please remember the seemingly little, and easily forgotten, things as we go about all this work that we have to do.

On a personal level:  Stay hydrated. Wear sunscreen. Wear a hat and long sleeves. Keep watch on your other crew members to make sure they’re doing the same…and wear sunscreen. (Seriously! Wear it!)

On a local level: Remember it’s now fire season. Act accordingly, especially when working in dry, grassy areas. If you have it available to you, review Mike Quartaroli’s "Pre-Post Wildfire Disaster Survey Monument Preservation Guide.” It’s always better to know how to protect a monument before a disaster, than trying to figure it out during - or worse, after - the disaster.  (Ask me how I know.)  If you don’t have a copy of said "Wildfire Disaster Survey Monument Preservation Guide,” let me, Mikey Mueller (Monument Conservation Chair), or Mike Quartaroli know. We’ll get you a copy.

To quote Immediate Past President, Kevin Hills, "Remember, preparedness is not a one-time effort but an ongoing commitment to our own well-being and the preservation of our profession. By proactively preparing for fire and earthquake scenarios, we can mitigate risks, protect lives, and continue to serve our communities with resilience.”

On a Chapter level: Don’t forget your Chapter. It’s easy to do this time of year as we get busy. It’s difficult to get ideas for topics or speakers. We’re coming up to the end of the second quarter; Chapter reports and rosters are due to the Central Office soon. Don’t forget those either.

On a State Association level: Don’t forget your mentors. The Executive Committee is here to help you and your Chapter with all of the above.  Topics.  Speakers.  Monument Conservation. Let us help you make your Chapter stronger. Stronger Chapters make for a stronger Association. You name it, we can probably help you with it; and we want to.

….except for the sunscreen. You’ll have to apply that yourself. (Seriously! Wear it!)

Kevin Nehring

If you, as a Chapter Officer, Director, or member, have questions about anything related to the Association, please contact the Executive Committee.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Contact me: Ca.PLS8200@gmail.com or 559-451-7112.