Starting the Flipbook

Emergency contact numbers

Have a place identified on the farm to store emergency phone numbers

  • Owner/operator’s phone
    • cell phone and home phone…. If the farm is a rental farm, then the operator dwelling is not on the premise.
  • Fire/sheriff/squad
    • who responds to this property?
    • There is 911 service in every county and is the preferred communication through a local dispatcher (usually the Sheriff’s office in rural counties).
  • Gas/electric supplier (cell)
    • having this number is good for any first responder to the scene if the emergency involves a quick shut down of utilities.
  • Health Department
  • Insurance provider (cell)
  • Neighbor/manger, family member or other person familiar with operation
    • when the owner is involved in the injury, or cannot be reached, often a neighbor or close farming colleague understands the operation or location of tools, equipment, etc.
    • when the owner of an agritourism operation is not on the premises and someone has trespassed.
  • Equipment dealer (cell)
    • many volunteer fire department responders do not have knowledge of farm machinery and may rely upon technical assistance or emergency shut-off procedures. It has happened before, emergency responders causing more injury to someone caught in machinery when they didn’t know what levers and controls did move
  • City, County, State Organizations

Property Map(s)

  • You may have multiple maps for your farm.
    • Incidents don’t usually happen at the farmer’s address, they usually occur in remote areas of the farm. So having clear directions for a first responder to give to emergency responders is needed.
    • You can pinpoint an address on a road using GoogleMaps. Click on the location and find out ‘what’s here’. Be sure whatever address you use is placed on the map and is given to first responders so they know it is just a location, not a real address.
  • Map of the main areas where customers are located and allowed.
    • Map of the corn maze field with specific entrances and exits, along with access points for emergency vehicles.
    • Parking areas and how customers flow in and out of these areas.
  • Directions to farm/fields
    • For your information and for the safety of employees planting crops or working with livestock.
    • Extra maps for fields located away from the normal farming operation.
  • Facility maps for buildings, labeled as livestock, equipment, chemical, etc.
    • Map with detail of the buildings, including classes of fires to expect, location of fire extinguishers and more.
    • These maps will help identify chemical and fuel storage areas, equipment storage, livestock barns, etc. Many farmers are reluctant to have these available (for fear they may fall in the wrong hands and thieves will know exactly where to look for tools/equipment), but they are invaluable in emergency situations and the emergency responders have a good accurate understanding of which barn contains chemicals (explosion concerns), livestock (quick rescue), machinery (quick rescue), etc.
  • Landscape maps including wells, ponds, lagoons, propane tanks, electric poles, etc.
  • And other maps as needed.

To complete the map(s) of your property:

  1. Utilize Google maps, County Auditor or Farm Service Agency maps to start useable design.
  2. Include directions to farm/fields from fire/EMA location; GPS coordinates
  3. Maps should be descriptive with access points for large fire/EMA equipment.
  4. Facility maps for buildings, labeled as livestock, equipment, chemical, etc (use the fire classes from the National Fire Protection Association).
  5. Add accurate distances between structures. Include well marked map with wells, ponds, lagoons, propane tanks, electric poles, etc.

A template with instructions on making your own map can be downloaded in this PowerPoint format: Mapping Your Farm – Instructions

Filpbook page

Workbook – Property map

Next: Chapter 4 Employee Training