National Farm Medicine Center Holding Agriculture Rescue Training October 25th & 26th

Monday, October 14th, 2024 -- 8:01 AM

Emergency responders face unique, high-risk challenges on farms, including toxic atmospheres, enclosed spaces, managing animals under stress and machinery entanglements.

“The severity of incidents on farms is such that they may be low frequency, but when they happen, they are high risk,” said Casper Bendixsen, Ph.D., director, National Farm Medicine Center, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute.

Registration is open for the final Agriculture Rescue Training event, Oct. 25-26, in Marshfield, Wis. The program is designed to supplement basic emergency training for emergency medical technicians and rescue personnel.

The National Farm Medicine Center is partnering with Pittsville Fire Co., Life Link III Air Medical Transport, Heiman Holsteins, Heeg Farms Inc., and Marshfield Clinic Health System. The training will feature live presentations the evening of Friday, Oct. 25, followed by Saturday’s full-day, hands-on training in farm rescue scenarios.

“We will also be offering again this year a separate train-the-trainer course designed to equip participants with in-depth knowledge on how to organize and conduct their very own Agriculture Rescue Training,” said Pittsville Fire Chief Jerry Minor.

A bonus event, Rural Firefighters Delivering Agricultural Safety and Health (RF-DASH), will be offered Thursday, Oct. 24. Participants can choose to attend Ag Rescue Training, Train-the-Trainer, RF-DASH, or any combination of the three events. See the combined registration page for details.

Farming is one of the most hazardous occupations in the U.S., with people who work in agriculture being 8-10 times more likely to die on the job than the average U.S. worker.

Emergency responders experience fatality rates 3-4 times higher than the average worker. Agriculture Rescue Training was revived in 2021 after a two-decade lull, thanks to philanthropic support from the Auction of Champions.

Nearly 250 emergency responders representing 81 fire departments have participated, including 34 emergency responders who have trained to be instructors. Initial trainings by the National Farm Medicine Center began in 1981, and ultimately involved 1,400 men and women from across Wisconsin.

Registration fees for all events will be waived for Extension faculty and staff, and technical college instructors. Please contact Jakob Hanschu ([email protected]) to receive a code to waive your fee.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.