Wisconsin Ag Connection - WFBF: Farms Need Emergency Plans In Case of Disasters

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WFBF: Farms Need Emergency Plans In Case of Disasters
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 06/04/2008

Farmers should have emergency plans before a tornado, fire, or other disaster hits their farm. That's the strong recommendation from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, which posts a farm emergency plan template on its Website for farm owners to make their own list of emergency contacts, family members and employees, a plan to meet away from the farm in an emergency, and a diagram of their farm.

"When an emergency responder pulls into a farm's driveway, they may not always be prepared for what they are going to find," said WFBF Spokesman Casey Langan. "They might not know how grain bins operate, how livestock react under stress, how anhydrous ammonia tanks work and the danger involved with handling the product. Therefore a farm emergency plan should include a description and location of production facilities, livestock and equipment to help minimize the devastating effects of a farm disaster."

The Farm Bureau said current operational procedures exist for local police, fire and emergency response teams, but many of them may have little knowledge of the workings of a farm. An emergency plan should provide the additional safety information that emergency responders will need.

Farms may have equipment, building structures, livestock bio-security measures, farm chemicals and fuels, power usage and generation, and other aspects of raising livestock and growing crops that require special attention by emergency officials or other important partners who respond to the special needs of farms.

The Farm Bureau is recommending that farm families review and update this emergency list with their family and employees, and to have copies posted near telephones and shared with neighbors and emergency responders.

For more information, or to view the emergency plan template, goto: www.wfbf.com.

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