For the City of Vallejo, California, keeping its maintenance workers safe is a major priority. Keeping its 8,000+ acres of land protected from potential fire hazards is another. These were catalysts for its decision to add three more RC Mowers remote-controlled robotic mowers to its fleet this season.
“Our team spends a great deal of our work week clearing the brush and other vegetation that serve as fuel for wildfires,” said Robert Ljuba, the Facilities Maintenance Supervisor for the City of Vallejo Water Department. “Because this brush is usually located on hills and in rough terrain, our crews are often put in harm’s way. As a result, we are constantly evaluating equipment that can help mitigate those risks while doing an effective job at removing fire hazards.”
Ljuba said that in addition to steep slopes, his team also battles biting insects and dangerous wild animals. These dangers occur when trying to mow around the city’s water tanks, reservoirs, dams, pump stations and treatment plants. However, the brush still has to be cleared, and the land maintained to meet both state and city fire codes.
“Our productivity is through the roof,” he said. “For example, fuel mitigation on our Summit Reservoir dam would take 12 or more contracted hand-crews one day to cut and complete. With our RC Mowers’ R-60 and newly acquired R-52 machines, we have been able to independently manage the brush on the dam and cut working time down to four hours. It’s amazing how these mowers have changed our lives.”
RC Mowers VP of Sales/Marketing Tim Kubista said the company’s goal is to address ongoing challenges in the industry. They include labor shortages, productivity and staff safety.
“Land management companies and municipalities across the United States have been experiencing a severe and ongoing labor shortage for several years, and our remote-controlled robotic mowers help alleviate some of that problem,” Kubista said. “Our R Series is built to be highly efficient and can mow steep slopes and other hazardous terrain in half the time with just a crew of one. We’re pleased that our robotic mowers have been able to address the City of Vallejo’s labor and safety problems so effectively.”
Kubista said the company’s commercial robotic mowers are perfect for municipalities dealing with large tracts of land in rough terrain. The R Series’ upgraded rear-discharge deck improves the first-pass yield by more than 100%c. It can power through the toughest conditions. Ljuba said that the mowers’ ability to safeguard their crew has made them indispensable.
“With the R-60 and R-52’s, our facilities maintenance team is able to stay safe on the flat land while the mowers do their best work in the hazardous terrain,” Ljuba said. “Since we made this purchase, we have had zero injuries, which is the ultimate safety test.”
For a recent Turf Magazine article on the Safest States for Outdoor Jobs, click here.
For Turf’s August 2024 Issue: Weather Xtremes featuring an article on firewise landscaping, click here.