On Wednesday, April 27, just after 8:00 p.m. ET, an EF-4 tornado hit Ringgold, Ga. Working in North Carolina when the tornado touched down, Tad Agoglia, founder of First Response Team of America, and his crew packed up immediately and arrived on the scene within hours. Months later, the cleanup effort continues.

With the help of hundreds of volunteers, donations and specialized equipment, the First Response Team has worked alongside municipal crews in Ringgold to remove thousands of yards of storm debris from power lines, the roadways and the cemetery. And because many homeowners’ insurance policy do not cover the cost of cleanup, Agoglia’s crews have also helped homeowners move debris from their lots to the roadside for pick-up, free of charge.

“It is our commitment to save lives and restore hope. We were determined to get right in the middle of what was going on, simply because it was the right thing to do,” said Agoglia. “First Response Team is a non-profit organization and is able to assist our neighbors in need thanks to the generosity of donors and volunteers.”

Terex was one of several equipment manufacturers who donated time and equipment to aid Agoglia’s crews with the cleanup efforts. Terex provided a PT-100G compact track loader equipped with a grapple bucket attachment for First Response Team to use for more than two months. The PT-100G was selected because it has a 99.9-hp engine and a 4,000-lb operating capacity, the power and performance the First Response Team needed to easily and quickly remove storm debris.

“Using the Terex PT-100G, we could clear a whole home site within hours,” said Agoglia. “We helped more than 70 families by removing storm debris and clearing their properties so rebuilding could begin.”

On the ground for almost 50 miles, with sustaining winds between 175-190 mph, the powerful tornado left a one-third to one-half mile wide path of devastation in its wake. With the roads blocked by debris, one of the first challenges when the First Response Team arrived was getting to those in need. Another immediate challenge was to clear debris off power lines so repair crews could restore power to the area. And, the local cemetery needed to be cleaned up so the dead could be buried.

“I have never seen anything like it,” said Terex product manager Jamie Wright. “The tornado only lasted about five minutes, and in that time it destroyed hundreds of homes, without even siding or shingles left on some sites. We had worked with First Response before, donating the use of two compact track loaders and a utility vehicle to help with the Gulf oil spill clean up, so Terex was eager and willing to help again.”

Because Ringgold is located in a valley, the First Response Team had to work in very hilly terrain. Cleanup efforts were further hampered by rain, leaving the ground very soft and extremely muddy. Compact track loaders are designed to work in these types of conditions

“The residents in Ringgold may not have known who Terex was before the tornado struck,” says Agoglia, “but they saw the Terex machine show up day after day, helping them overcoming the devastation in their lives. They came to rely on and trust in the brand. Together, Terex and First Response gave people hope and helped them feel encouraged again. That’s what we were there for.”

For more information, find First Response Team on Twitter at @firstresponse, on Facebook at First Response Team of America or on the Web at www.firstresponseteam.org.

For even higher productivity on North American construction sites and work sites, Michelin introduces the newest extension of Michelin’s radial line for skid steers, the Michelin BibSteel Hard-Surface tire. Following in the footsteps of the Michelin BibSteel All-Terrain radial, the BibSteel Hard Surface is the latest innovation in the company’s compact line, delivering increased traction and durability and a better ride than less-durable bias tires. The Michelin BibSteel Hard-Surface tire succeeds the MICHELIN Stabil’XZSL radial.

“With a robust, all-steel casing and belt package and enhanced traction, the BibSteel All-Terrain is the ideal product for the vast majority of the skid steer market, including job sites, construction and road work,” said Bob Rees, North American product manager for Michelin North America Agricultural Tires. “The BibSteel Hard-Surface, meanwhile, delivers all of the same features as the Bibsteel All Terrain with a tread designed specifically to provide excellent performance and maneuverability on hard and smooth surfaces.”

Three advantages bring key improvements for the Michelin BibSteel Hard-Surface radial. First, it retains the same proprietary rubber compound that delivers the reliable longevity of its predecessor so the BibSteel Hard-Surface delivers a longer tire life. Second, it has all-steel casing and crown plies for durability. And third, the BibSteel Hard-Surface radial features a rim guard, better sidewall impact and puncture resistance, all of which are critical on debris-strewn jobsites.

Covington’s Devou Park is a haven of 750 acres nestled atop a hillside overlooking the Cincinnati skyline. But while visitors enjoy the stunning vistas, urban forester Jason Roberts is constantly thinking of honeysuckle -- or more appropriately, how to wrestle away “real estate” that is in the grip of this pesky invasive species. A skid-steer mounted mechanical mulcher is helping to eradicate this pervasive pest, so that visitors can continue to enjoy the view as well as the native grasses.

A fast growing, woody nuisance, honeysuckle thrives in this northern Kentucky locale. Honeysuckle can grow anywhere but it is most common near roadways and along wood lines, nestling up to the native ash, pin oak, red oak and white oak. Left unchecked it will quickly crowd out nearby vegetation, and hamper natural reforestation efforts. Starved of sunlight, indigenous plants and grasses die off. Additionally, this water suckling species also robs nearby native vegetation of needed moisture, further harming native species already stressed by drought conditions (which have been common over the past few summers). But thanks to a new invasive species management program instituted in early 2011, the City of Covington is well on the way to eradicating this prolific pest.

A skid steer loader fitted with a Fecon BH74Bullhog mulcher attachment shreds the honeysuckle, reducing it to a carpet of mulch. Roberts estimates that his crews can do more work in a day -- typically a couple acres -- with the BullHog, than hand crews could accomplish in two weeks. And since the single-operator for the mulcher works from within an enclosed cab, the work environment is much safer than having hand laborers wielding chainsaws, hand saws and weed eaters with metal blades attached. 

The BullHog, which draws its power from the skid steer’s hydraulic system, has a rotor which is fitted with fixed “hammers” which are actually cutting tools.  Using the ground as an anvil, these staggered “teeth” then chew though the woody debris. The BH74 is capable of mulching through standing trees to 8 or 10-in. in diameter, clearly ample power for the steady diet of honeysuckle that it sees.

The problem with how this shrubby material grows is not diameter of the trunk, but more the density of the fast growing material. Although difficult for hand crews to cut and chip, it is no match for the 74-hp BullHog. In fact, all that is left after a pass or two with this machine is a carpet of mulch, which is typically left on the ground to control erosion.  Another side benefit is that as it decomposes, this mulch returns nutrients and organic matter to the soil, further strengthening the reforestation process.

The highly maneuverable skid steer aids in “precision” mulching -- as “keeper” trees can be saved, while all else is eradicated. Despite its low ground pressure, Roberts and his crews only work the mulcher when the ground is frozen or the terrain is dry. 

Although there are likely other projects that this mechanical workhorse will be called upon to do in the future, so far is has mainly served to control the invasive honeysuckle and “occasionally on the riverbank for floodwall maintenance.” 

Roberts dreams of someday looking out over the picturesque vistas of Devou Park and seeing verdant hills with lush indigenous greenery … without any honeysuckle. That someday is getting closer each time his crews fire up this mechanical mulcher.