ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Paramedics can pry out of a crumpled car, but even well trained squads may be stymied by an upended tractor or an 80-foot silo. You can help increase your chances of recovering from a farm accident by making sure your local emergency rescue squads have the training offered by a program called Farm Medic, based in Rochester, N.Y. There have been rough attempts at farm rescue programs over the years, but Farm Medic may be one of the most successful. In its first two years, it’s trained more than 70 people in four states. An in structor, in turn, teaches members of his squad, whether it is a professional ambulance service or the local volunteer fire depart ment. “There’s a great deal of dif ference between auto extrication and farm implement extrication,” instructor Tom Krenzer of the Rush Volunteer Fire Department in Rush, N.Y., recently told a group of trainees. “We’re not trying to make doctors out of you. New CHORE-TIME, 36" Panel Fan for economical ventilation . 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SALES, INSTALLATION, SERVICE FOR CATTLE, HOG, POULTRY AND GRAIN rriTAnjT.wuvijv # 1 Authorized Chore-Time Distributor STORE 1 I ASK 1 AGRIjfcQUIPMENT.mc.J 1; 4:30 |l V i "pSSiiw 2754 CREEK HILL RD., LEOLA, PA 17540 * PHONE: 717-656-4151 £v.m. Farm Medic trains farm We’re not trying to make farmers out of you. We just want to let you know what to expect when you pull up to a farm place.” David Sanger of the New York State Farm Bureau helped start the program after a conference with paramedics. He found that they were well-trained in accidents around the home or on highways, “but when they got to a farm, they said there were things they’d never encountered. They really didn’t know how to act.” Sanger was doubly concerned about the dangers of farming. “I had along with me what was left of my son’s jeans after he got caught in a power take-off of the manure spreader.” Sanger says. “He was lucky since he’d just shut it off, so he could brace himself until it wound down. But to look at the jeans - all that was left was the waistband and a little bit of the top - I wondered what would have happened if we’d had to get him out of there.” The New York State Farm Bureau and Farm Family In surance offered to finance the development of a specialized farm JFM/WATT (2) * l2S* t 7 I f 15 >A\ * < >4 L 3 l MAI SP BHP|- LOCKED IOTOft AMfS v>i >i* 11 tt •it > > t/> • «*•> <'<••<••• 'a'ViVhV :ViVtV^mA^VViV rescue training program. Empire 9, a nine-county emergency medical program based on Rochester, took them up on the offer and launched Farm Medic in 1982. The dangers of farming are well documented. The farmer is often alone, working quickly, reaching around gears and stepping over augers. Death and injury rates in agriculture have been first or second among all industries for years. In 1982, the last period reported by the national Safety Council, there were 54 deaths per 100.000 workers in mining, 52 per 100.000 in agriculture. The national average for all industries was 11. There is no central source for accidents that are strictly farm related, so John Pollock, agriculture safety specialist with the New York Extension Service at Cornell University, has organized a network of volunteers to report accidents. Early results show between seven to eight injuries per 100 farm workers, with the reporting weighted toward dairy farming, which is among the safest FEATi High-efficiency, capacitor-run fan motor is suspended by self-tensioning, easy-to replace belt to minimize belt slippage for reliable, efficient performance and minimal main- tenance Fan bearings are self-aligning and pre-lubricated with ammonia-resistant grease for long life rescue teams agricultural areas. Farm Medic seeks to help balance the scales with training sessions that have attracted far mers as well as paramedics. Walter H. Weitgrefe, chairman of the Department of Agricultural Industries at the State University of New York in Alfred, says the program is of interest to his faculty. “We’ve seen our students get hurt, maimed or killed,” he says, watching a recent demonstration of a silo rescue. “Our instructors here, they’ll incorporate this into their courses so the students are as aware of the danger points as the rescue teams.” Instructor Tom Krenzer tries to give his classes of volunteer firemen and women some idea of the special circumstances on a farm. What you can expect, Krenzer says, is a trauma, often with loss of blood, usually with shock. Part of the problem is the nature of far ming. “Farmers do not call for help,” Krenzer says. “They do not want to bother people. They don’t want RES their neighbors to know how stupid they were by putting their hand in there in the first place. “So by the time you get the call, it’s a traumatic situation. Chances are the wife, son, the family is right there. You’ve got to get them out of there before you can begin to extricate.” There may be other unexpected things - acres of soft ground that could mire an ambulance. Krenzer suggests using farm equipment to transport supplies to the victim if that’s the case. Once there, usual tools like a jack may not work, sinking into the earth instead of hoisting a tractor. A squad should be equipped with or have access to inflatable air bags. While rescue at the site depends on paramedics, there are some things a family can do before the fact to speed the service, says Ted Halpin, Empire 9’s farm accident rescue coordinator. For instance, farmers should prepare a map of the farm, identifying buildings by number so time isn’t wasted when minutes count. It’s also valuable to point out just where the “back 40” is or if there’s a slough or a gate between the road and the victim. Clearly mark the “Off” button on each piece of equipment, from tractors to feed grinders. Teach members of your family how to turn off equipment. Farm Medic currently is training people in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut. It’s a non-profit service, with nominal fees charged to cover expenses, such as the Farm Accident Rescue booklet prepared by the Cooperative Extension, Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. For more information about the program, write Farm Medic, Empire 9 Emergency Medical Services Program, 224 Alexander St., Rochester, N.Y. 14607. Rodale to sponsor field tour KUTZTOWN - The Rodale Research Center in Kutztown is holding its third annual field tour for farmers on Wednesday, Aug. 15. This half-day tour of research projects focuses on techniques and ideas that can helf farmers reduce their input expenses and regenerate soil health. The projects to be reviewed include a five-year study of ways to maintain yields and income while coverting from a chemically intensive system of farming to a low-input system; overseeding legumes into row crops to supply nitrogen and reduce erosion; a study comparing effectiveness of fresh manure and composted manure; and results of a five-year economic and crop analysis of a nearby 320 acre beef operation. The first tour will run from 9:30 a.m. until noon and the second will be conducted from 1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. in the afternoon. Visitors are welcome to lunch on the schoolhouse grounds and tour the rest of the projects in vegetable production, fish farming, new crops and entomology on their own. The Research Center is located six miles northeast of Kutztown on Siegfriedale Road off Grim Road "in Maxatawny Township, Berks County. Signs are located along Route 222 to indicate where to turn coming from either Allentown or Reading. For a detailed map or more information, contact Nancy Nickum Bailey or Craig Cramer at the Rodale Research Center, Rl, Box 323, Kutztown, PA 19530 or telephone at (215) 683-6383 or 683- 6302.
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