By Staff
LANSING - Farm managers need to be prepared to respond if an emergency occurs, whether it's due to bioterrorism, a natural disaster or an accident.
A farm emergency plan that a manager develops and shares with employees, family members and local emergency responders helps everyone be prepared to deal with the unexpected.
Michigan State University (MSU) Extension and the Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program recently updated a bulletin called “Emergency Planning for the Farm” (bulletin E-2575) that can help producers plan for incidents and accidents.
A farm emergency plan contains emergency contact information, farmstead and aerial maps and information for handling fertilizer, pesticide and manure spills, fires and other emergency or suspicious activities.
Firefighters, rescue teams and other responders use the plan to determine quickly if any farmstead hazard exists that may deter rescues or endanger human lives.
Every farmer is encouraged to maintain an up-to-date inventory of stored products -pesticides, fertilizers and farm flammables - and their storage locations, along with a list of the farm's and the nearby emergency equipment and supplies.
Updated emergency plans should be dated and filed in at least four locations: in the farm office, in the emergency tube, in farm vehicles/tractors, and with the fire department or local emergency planning committee (LEPC).