Wisconsin farmers have teamed up with researchers and firefighters to create an online pilot program that maps farm hazards, a move that will provide first responders immediate information of any stored chemicals and other hazards at the scene, reports M.L. Johnson for The Associated Press. Maps will also show where to disconnect power, and provide areas for potential sources of water.
Although similar programs exist in states such as Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, the project's future is up in the air, after President Obama's proposed budget eliminated money for the National Farm Medicine Center, which runs the program for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
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| Firefighters look at a tablet with a digital map showing hazards on a farm near Pittsvile, Wis. National Farm Medicine Center photo |
Pittsville Fire Chief Jerry Minor told Johnson, "We don't have a lot of incidents on farms. But when we do, they pose a real high threat to rescue personnel because of unfamiliarity with farms and all the hazards that are present."
Although similar programs exist in states such as Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, the project's future is up in the air, after President Obama's proposed budget eliminated money for the National Farm Medicine Center, which runs the program for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
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