NAFA Announces New Utility Line Clearance Tree Equipment Committee
On September 7, NAFA announced Trustees' approval for the formation of the Utility Line Clearance Tree Equipment Committee. In a message to new ULCTEC Chair Dave Lynn, CAFM, Equipment Service Manager for Penn Line Service, NAFA Executive Director Phillip E. Russo, CAE congratulated Lynn on this new development and thanked him for bringing this opportunity to NAFA. The formation of the Committee furthers the depth and breadth of what the Association offers its membership across every aspect of fleet.
With Lynn, NAFA welcomes Vice Chair Lenny Hedgelin, Fleet & Equipment Training Coordinator for Lucas Tree Experts. (Hedgelin is not currently a NAFA Member but intends join now that this committee has been formed.) The Committee's Secretary/Treasurer is Kevin Fitzpatrick, CAFM, Wright Tree Service. The Committee's Reporting Officer is Claude Masters, CAFM, Florida Power & Light.
Other current Members involved with the ULCTEC are Chuck Cotton, Lucas Tree and Mike Harris, CAFM, Carolina Tree. ULCTEC membership is limited only to NAFA Members who have utility line tree clearance responsibilities.
The Committee's primary activities will include working as a group to bring equipment needs to the attention of manufacturers; collaborating on specific industry equipment issues; collaborating on regulatory issues within the industry; collaborating to standardize the approach to operator training; developing an operator training template that covers the key areas for all equipment; and collaborating on industry concerns and identify lobbying effort needs.
Lynn's proposal for the Committee said that its formation would, "bring in additional NAFA members (as) this group represents a very large truck fleet." He also said that any product generated by the Committee (like an operator’s training product) would become NAFA property. As well, the ULCTEC would work with and interact well with both the Corporate Fleet and the Utility Fleet Committees.
NAFA congratulates all our current and future members who will comprise this bold new step for the Association's Committee structure.