Indiana PREPared strongly encourages every farm family to have an emergency plan for their farm operation. At some point, almost every farm operation will face a signficant emergency situation, such as a farmwork related injury, fire, or weather disaster. While having a emergency plan doesn't stop bad things from happening, being prepared for such an event can prevent injuries to other family members or farm staff as well as first responders such as firefighters, EMS, and law enforcement. In addition, a planned response can reduce the potential damage and costs resulting from an emergency situation on the farm.
This site includes a template that families can use to develop an emergency response plan for their farm operation. We suggest the entire farm family, along with employees or other staff be involved in completing this plan. For any plan to be successful during an emergency, everyone needs to be "on the same page". By creating the plan together, all farm personnel will have input, and will understand their own roles and responsibilities.
- The template is set up to be a resource for both the farm family/staff and for emergency responders
- We recommend the producer shares the plan with their local fire department / first responders
- County EMS directors may be willing to input the plan information into the county GIS system so the 911 dispatcher has immediate access during an emergency call
- Insurance companies may offer a discount if a farm has a formal emergency plan
- Store a copy of your Farm Emergency Plan in a permanent accessible and marked location on the farmstead for use by first responders
NOTE: The Farm Emergency Plan Template was originally developed as a special project of Purdue Extension - Parke County in 2018. The template has been used to develp emergency plans for several farm operations, and has been reviewed by first responders, EMA, and safety education professionals.
Emergency Plan Template and Resources (pdf)
PREPclip: Emergency Preparedness (Creating an Emergency Plan)
Video: Coordination and Collaboration Between Farms, Local Emergency Planning Committees, and Emergency Responders
Additional Resources for Farm Families and Educators
Code Red
Farm Safety Inventory
Accessing vital paperwork and personal or business information is essential to recovery from a disaster or emergency. This tool developed by the Purdue Women in Agriculture Team stores passwords, bank account information, rental agreements, insurance papers, power of attorney documents, and much more in one location. The Code Red plan is the "go to" tool if something happens to a key member of the management team. Code Red can also help families get started on estate and/or succession planning. We recommend completing both a Farm Emergency Plan and a Code Red plan for your farm!
A great project to complete along with a farm emergency plan is a safety inventory of your farm operation. Click the icon below to access Purdue Agriculture Safety & Heath's Farm & Ranch Safety Inventory. The Inventory covers all facets of most farm operations, and helps farm families identify potential safety and health hazards. Print the .pdf inventory and spend some time finding hazards on your farm. Great project for youth!
Disaster Preparedness Guide for Caregivers
Farms are somewhat unique in that we typically both live and work at the same location. Commonly, farm families serve as caregivers to elderly relatives, or individuals with disabilities. As caregivers, those in your care depend on you for their safety and well-being, especially during emergencies. This guide, developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, will help plan for and navigate the unique challenges that may arise, and can assist in preparing a farm emergency plan that meets everyone's needs.
Educator Resources
Extension educators (and ag teachers) are welcome and encouraged to use the slide set below as an educational tool for classes, workshops, producer meetings, or PARP programs. The importance of emergency preparedness makes the topic appropriate for many settings. Please contact INPREPared if you have questions or suggestions.
The Farm Emergency Plan Template was originally developed for use by Extension Educators who assist farm families with emergency preparedness. Spending an afternoon with farm family developing a customized farm emergency plan is productive and enjoyable for both the educator and farm family. We have included some tips for extension educators who are using the emergency plan template with their farm clients.
If you need more information contact: inprepared@purdue.edu.
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