Some farm. Some show up when you call 911. Some do both. But no matter who you are in rural life, you play a role in making it safer. Rural Firefighters Delivering Agriculture Safety and Health (RF-DASH) is bringing together farmers and first responders for a big job: reducing agricultural incidents throughout our rural communities. Connecting farmers with their local emergency service teams, RF-DASH gives them the means to build trust and a safer community, as well as giving peace of mind by sharing access to the necessary tools and knowledge to assist in preventing emergencies from occurring on farms and ranches.

Agricultural workers are 8-10 times more likely to die on the job than the average U.S. worker and endure some of the highest injury rates. This has been an enduring trend. There are also an inadequate number of safety consultants that exist to assist farmers in making their farms and ranches safer. This is where RF-DASH partners with institutions that offer industry-leading tools and technology to help achieve the goal of increasing farm safety, allowing rural emergency responders to scale-up and be the Rural Firefighter that Delivers Agriculture Safety and Health throughout their communities.

• Over 130 firefighters/EMS have been trained as trainers in the program from 12 states and 5 Canadian provinces. This includes 12 Master Trainers. Locations range from Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Utah, Idaho, Washington, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, and Ontario. 
• The program aligns with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, specifically the NFPA 1300 standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development.