Ashley Hunter
ECB Publishing, Inc.
When a heavy storm system rolled through Jefferson County towards the end of May, one of the large trees located on the Jefferson Senior Citizens Center (JSCC) property split and fell as a result.
The massive tree was already showing signs of decay, and after the majority of the tree fell, there was still a significant portion of it that remained standing.
The JSCC reached out to several tree service companies to obtain a quote for how much it would cost to remove the fallen portion of the tree as well as the remaining stump.
The senior center mentioned the tree to Sheriff Mac McNeill, who learned that the center was preparing to pay several hundred dollars in order to remove the tree.
“That's money that could be used to fund meals for local seniors,” said Sheriff McNeill.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has been a big supporter of the senior center for several years, and Sheriff McNeill reached out to the Georgia-Florida Aviation Search Team (GFAST) to see if the team could remove the tree for a cheaper price.
While not professional tree trimmers, GFAST's crew have been crucial in helping Jefferson County recover from severe storms in the past by clearing roads, removing fallen trees and offering first-response services to the county.
GFAST has several heavy-duty vehicles and hard-working crew members that were up to the task and on Tuesday, June 2, four GFAST crew members and Sheriff McNeill met at the senior center.
GFAST made quick work of the tree – in a matter of minutes, the massive stump had been fallen, cut into pieces and loaded into the back of a truck, and the GFAST crew also trimmed some of the trees that had branches extending over the senior center's paved parking lot.
While the senior center had been preparing to pay several hundred dollars for this service, GFAST performed the service at no cost to the center, which provides free meals, activities and services to senior residents of the Jefferson County community.
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