treeShield^�, a ground-breaking service warranty developed by HMI and key members of its Authorized Member network, has been in the market for almost three years. When the warranty was launched, many green industry professionals didn't understand the need for a warranty protecting a property owner from the costs of repairing or removing storm damaged trees. Today however, there are thousands of grateful homeowners, and their arborists, who do. Arborists' services protect trees from the effects of strong storms; treeShield^� protects your clients when those services aren't enough. This warranty is without a doubt the single most important new service available to professional tree care companies. 

What does the treeShield^� Warranty cover?

Tree damage caused by wind, rain, snow, ice, hail or lightning, including:

• Complete tree removal, including the stump if it has uprooted
• Broken leaders, limbs or other tree debris
• Hazardous tree and hazardous limb removal
• Restorative pruning required to restore symmetry and safety to a damaged tree
• Cabling to address structural weaknesses caused by a storm

How does treeShield^� work?

In order to ensure that its clients receive the highest level of service, efficiency and quality, HMI has developed a deployment training and certification program for the professional tree care companies in its network (the "Member(s)") that wish to deploy following catastrophe events. This program is designed to train all Members that deploy to support HMI's insurance carrier clients following a storm on program requirements, protocols and operational requirements that have been developed to ensure client satisfaction during major events. 

HMI requires each Member to complete this program in order to qualify for deployments during the 2013 storm season. HMI had roughly 1/3 of its Members complete the program, including two of the largest tree care companies in the country. Collectively, this provides HMI with access to potentially hundreds of fully credentialed tree crews with vast experience handling emergency tree removals on residential properties. HMI easily surpassed its goal of doubling its deployment capacity compared with 2012. 

Key components of HMI Deployment Certification include:

1. Service level expectations

2. Best pricing practices

3. Optimizing communications and updates on work flow status

4. Documentation requirements

5. Compliance with local regulations and taxes

6. Understanding FEMA rules and requirements

HMI's deployment program is designed to maximize its emergency response resources and ensure high professional standards and superior customer service. HMI has access to 2,500 tree crews across the country and has deployed for insurance carriers multiple times in CAT events.