Emergency responders face unique, high-risk challenges on farms, such as toxic atmospheres, enclosed spaces, stressed animals, and machinery entanglements.
“Farm incidents may be low frequency, but when they occur, they are high risk,” said Casper Bendixsen, Ph.D., director of the National Farm Medicine Center at Marshfield Clinic Research Institute.
Registration is open for the final Agriculture Rescue Training event, set for Oct. 25-26 in Marshfield, Wis. The program supplements basic emergency training for EMTs and rescue personnel. The National Farm Medicine Center partners with Pittsville Fire Co., Life Link III Air Medical Transport, Heiman Holsteins, Heeg Farms Inc., and Marshfield Clinic Health System for this event.
The training includes live presentations on Friday evening, Oct. 25, followed by hands-on farm rescue scenarios on Saturday.
“This year, we’re also offering a train-the-trainer course to help participants organize their own Agriculture Rescue Training,” said Pittsville Fire Chief Jerry Minor.
A bonus event, Rural Firefighters Delivering Agricultural Safety and Health (RF-DASH), will be held Thursday, Oct. 24.
Participants can attend Ag Rescue Training, Train-the-Trainer, RF-DASH, or a combination of events. Visit the combined registration page for details.
Farming is one of the most dangerous U.S. occupations, with workers 8-10 times more likely to die on the job. Emergency responders face fatality rates 3-4 times higher than the average worker.
Agriculture Rescue Training, revived in 2021 with support from the Auction of Champions, has trained nearly 250 responders from 81 fire departments, including 34 new instructors. The National Farm Medicine Center began these trainings in 1981, training 1,400 men and women across Wisconsin.
EARLY BIRD DEADLINE OCT. 11: Register by Oct. 11 for early bird pricing. Registration is free for Extension faculty, staff, and technical college instructors. Contact Jakob Hanschu (hanschu.jakob@marshfieldresearch.org) for a fee waiver code.
