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

Google

• 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: ian.mcdonald@ontario.ca

Thank you for attending this session.

Prevention is easily accessible

James Marshall

fpomarshall@gmail.com

Twitter @fpomarshall