Emergency Planning for
The Whole Farm
Protecting you, your family, your
livelihood & your community.
Ian McDonald, Innovation Specialist, OMAFRA
Fire Prevention Officer James Marshall – Morris-Turnberry/North Huron
Fire Prevention Officer Todd McKone – Perth East / Perth West
Fire Prevention Officer Jason Benn – North Perth
Public Educator Tanya Bettridge – Perth East
Its Really Pretty Simple!
Common Sense!
&
Commitment
Its Really Pretty Simple!
Emergency
response is a
TEAMsport
Why Planning Matters!
Why is a OMAFRA Field Crop
Extension Person Talking
Emergency Planning?
• If something happened in terms of serious
injury, death or fire in May, what would
happen to your crop productivity?
Who and What is it about?
Who and What is it about?
Statistics on farm properties affected by fire:
• Barn Fires.......
• 2004 - 196 fire incidents ($30.1 million loss)
• 2005 - 223 fire incidents ($25.3 million loss)
• 2006 - 205 fire incidents ($34.4 million loss)
• 2007 - 241 fire incidents ($57.6 million loss)
• 2008: - 184 fire incidents, ($30.3 million loss)
• 2009: - 186 fire incidents, ($25.45 million loss)
• 2010: - 164 fire incidents, ($29.4 million loss)
• 2011: - 186 fire incidents, ($35.96 million loss)
• 2012: - 136 fire incidents, ($16 million loss)
• 2013: - 157 fire incidents, ($31.8 million loss)
• 2014: - 150 fire incidents, ($28.4 million loss)
Facts on fires
What’s Different Today?
• Bigger farms
• Bigger/wider equipment
• More and longer equipment roading
• More traffic
• Less patience
Planning & Prevention Is
Everything...
Start With A Plan:1. It is a good idea to contact your local fire
department to find out how to effectively prevent
fire on your farm.
2. Most fire departments will visit your farm and
point out areas where you can decrease the risk
of a fire. It’s much nicer to meet now and plan,
then to respond at 3am and react.
Prevention is Everything
Planning & Prevention Is
Everything...• Where is your plan?
Leading Causes Of Preventable
Barn Fires:
– mechanical/electrical failure
– misuse of ignition source/equipment
– design/construction/ maintenance deficiency
– combustible buildups
– smoking
Smoking
• ABSOLUTELY NO
SMOKING:
• there should be no
smoking permitted in
any barn or farm
buildings at any time.
What’s The Hazard?
Practice good housekeeping:
– Keeping a clean, organized farmstead,
equipment fields is not only crucial to farm
life; it is an excellent way to prevent fires,
accidents and injury from occurring.
Prevention Is Everything
In building and equipment
– Chemical reactions, found in baled, damp hay,
can be a cause for barn fires.
– Mows of tightly packed bales do not allow this
build-up of heat to dissipate.
– Manure ventilation for “ in building “ storage
– Review your best practices in a timely manner
– Fans cleaned and operating well in equipment
– What is your air quality?
Provide Adequate Ventilation:
• Where is the water for suppression
coming from?
• How much do they need to put out
involved structures to prevent fire
extension?
• Are supplies adequate
• Are they visible and accessible
Provide Adequate Water
Supply
Practice electrical safety:
– Buildings and equipment
– Electrical malfunctions are a leading cause of
fires.
– What is the difference in cost between code
electrical and best practice/lower risk electrical?
– How caustic are the conditions in your barn?
– What is the suggested lifespan of your electrical?
Prevention Is Everything
• Sure they are handy but they are
meant as a short term fix
• If you have a constant need for power
have an electrician remedy your issue
• Too often we find barn fires that have
been caused by extension cords
Extension Cords Are Short
Term Tools
Are You Sure?
Rent/Borrow:
1. OSCIA, FFC, OMAFRA
Buy
1. Canadian Tire +
• Install And Maintain Lightning Rods
And Grounding Cables:
– Lightning rods are the best solution to
preventing lightning-source fires.
• Keep yard areas free of brush and
debris
Additional Precautions
• Refuel equipment safely
• Install and maintain fire extinguishers
• Make sure owners, operators and employees are
trained in fire safety, and that everyone follows the
rules
• Spread the word
• Cool off equipment before putting it in the shed
Prevention Is Everything
Preventing Fires Is Easy
• Just because you can burn doesn’t mean you
should.
• Can it wait for a rainy/snowy day?
• Have you notified the fire dept. to prevent an
unnessarary response?
• Can it be burned in stages?
• What are the wind conditions?
• Is it away from structures and combustibles?
Controlled Burns
• Utilize the farm fire safety checklist
• Consult with your fire department on
developing a Fire Safety Plan
• Practice, practice, practice
• Make sure everyone on the property and
your surrounding neighbours know your
plan
• Make sure you know their plan as well.
Preventing Fires Is Easy
Failing to plan... Is planning to
fail -You never know what it
could cost you.
• Do the numerous farms who have
experienced fire or accidents this past year
have a plan?
• Do you think they wish they had a plan now?
Who’s in in your barn?
Prevention Is Everything
It’s only a matter of time before
loss includes a Family member
or Coworker
On The Road
• Match the speed and load to the capabilities
of the tractor and the operator
• Training of the operators, the road is not the
field
• Wear your seat belt on the road
• Be aware of your surroundings
• Know where you are going
• Have others know where you are going.
What’s The Difference
What’s The Problem?
• With the increased size of the farms we are
responding to we have real issues in finding
people who are hurt.
• Tractor Rollover
• Hunting
• Heart attack/Stroke
• Entanglement
Do You Have A Posted Fire
Number At Every Property You
Farm
We Will Go To Great Lengths
To Find You
• Have fire numbers installed at your property
• Keep your phone on your person in a location you
could reach with either arm
• Have a card with your fire numbers and contact
info with your phone to refresh your memory in
stressful situations
• Know first aid, CPR and ensure your coworkers
and family are trained.
There are ways you can help
us, help you
We found you, Can we get to
you?You don’t want us
wasting time getting
the chain saw out.
Maintenance!
Where Are You?
Practice Senario
Where Are You?
What Would Ma Bell Do?
Where Are You?
Where Are You?
• Know where you are
– 911 number in place and you know it,
record it in tractor when you are there
– Others know where you are
– Have a system, if working alone, every two
hours you and “honey” text each other
• If no response in 15 minutes, send the cavalry
– How do you describe where you are?
Where Are You?
Mobile Phones
• Is it on your person
• Can you reach it
Where Are You?
• Smartphones (not cell phones)
• Know how to access and send the gps coordinates
• Take pictures
Are You Prepared?
• Dry summer of combining
• Be prepared
It’s only a matter of time before loss includes a
Family member or Coworker
Resources
• omafra onfarm emergency planning
resources
• Your local fire department
• http://www.wsps.ca/Farm-Safety-
Training/Farm-Safety.aspx
Farm Fire and
Emergency Sketch
Jacqui Empson Laporte
Environmental Specialist
Clinton Resource Centre
Modernized Sketch
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/landuse/gis/portal.htm
Or Google
OMAFRA Agmaps
Map Titles and Dates
Farm Name
911 Address
Date of Plan
Hospital: (with a text box for name and number)
Hydro: (with a text box for name and number)
Union Gas/Propane Supplier: (with text box for
name and number)
Livestock Vet: (with a text box for name and
number
Spills Action Centre 1-800-268-6060
Farm Basics
Please ensure the following
information is shown on the map:
(standard things on every farm)
Hydro and utility shutoffs
Laneways
Chemical storage
Please identify whether the
following features exist:
Backup generators
Solar panels (drop down
menu to roof mounted,
ground mounted, and
location of battery bank)
Anaerobic digester
Plastic slatted floors (drop
down menu to identify
Building)
Existing fire prevention (Drop
down menu to sprinklers, fire
walls, curtains, and other)
Onsite alternative water
sources (Drop down menu to
surface water, wells, cisterns)
Drag and Drop Icons
For Sobering Reflection
Youtube
https://youtu.be/P0yC6M1lJOM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMB0QFvw
Kww&t=2s&authuser=0
Farm fire safety should include:
– Installation/maintenance of fire extinguishers
– Regular maintenance/cleaning schedule
– Frequent electrical & heating system maintenance
– Ensure adequate ventilation in each building
– Installation/maintenance of lightning rods and grounding cables
– Safe equipment refuelling practices
– Properties with 911 signs
– Road safety
– Have a smartphone and know how to use it
– Training for everyone that lives or works on the farm
– Spread the word – neighbours should know your plan & you should know theirs
Re-cap
• If a worker gets hurt on my farm have I
done everything possible to prevent it?
Will the M.O.L. agree?
• If animals get hurt what are the
repercussions?
• If I get hurt will my farm survive until I’m
better?
• Can First Responders
locate/communicate me?
Points To Ponder
• If we don’t embrace the Prevention and
Fire Safety Culture then what?
• Who will develop our best practices?
– Agricultural Sprinklers,
– Fire alarm systems,
– Confined space requirements
– Agricultural Building Code
Points To Ponder
Questions?
Ian D. McDonald
OMAFRA
Business: 1-519-824-4120 x56707
Mobile: 1-519-239-3473
E-mail: [email protected]
Thank you for attending this session.
Prevention is easily accessible
James Marshall
Twitter @fpomarshall