Emergency Farm Planning

Emergency Farm Planning

Emily Mailhot

Reporter – Vegreville News Advertiser

On the evening of Thursday, January 17, Brad Andres, a presenter from the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry division of Emergency Management, was hosted by Lamont County at the St. Micheal Hall, to help educate farmers, landowners, and producers about what they can do to both minimize risk and respond to emergencies on their farms.

“Not everybody sees the reports of what goes on, and not everyone has seen the resources for emergency preparedness,” stated Andres, “We’ve definitely seen the need in Lamont County, and this meeting gives everyone a chance to learn more, and stay safer.”

Some of the emergencies covered in the presentation included fire, pipeline break, medical emergency, and flood.

A good emergency response plan, says Andres, includes a map of your property for reference. He had attendees draw up a map with fences, outbuildings, roads, and homes included. As you go, pipelines, waterers, gates, bodies of water (such as ponds, creeks, dugouts, etc.) should also be included.

“Preparing for fires, it’s important to note fire response time in your county so that you can prepare accordingly. If fire response times are longer, or you are located further away from town, more precautions may be necessary.”

In a case of forest or grass fire, there are three options: stay and ride it out, prepare and leave if necessary, or leave immediately. To prepare for these, three plans should be in place.

If there is a chance to stay for the long haul, with fire being far away, Andres shared some of the ways to prepare. These included turning on sprinkler systems (which should be purchased and stored or installed beforehand,) and cultivating around fields to create a wide dirt barrier. For the second, it was suggested that the cultivator be kept close to the tractor, if not attached, during high-risk seasons.

“If time is limited, but you know there will be a couple hours to prepare, gates that hold livestock can be opened, or fences cut,” shared Andres, “A lot of farmers don’t have a livestock trailer that can hold all of their animals, so cutting the fences is the next-best thing.”

Other things that were recommended to be included in the plan were personal possessions and documents, which Andres recommended be kept in one drawer or box for emergencies. “In the Fort MacMurray fire, one woman took nothing with her but a kitchen pot, because it’s all she could think of. In a panic, the best way to make sure you have what you need will be to keep items together, and ensure everyone in the household is clear on where it is.

Other topics that were briefly touched on were communication with staff, Emergency Alert apps, understanding of insurance coverage, and fireextinguisher training. Guests were referred to “FireSmart” pamphlets and their local fire departments for more information.

Out of the 11 people who registered for the Emergency Plan Session, close to double attended.

Coffee and doughnuts were served throughout the session.