RF-DASH Online Course

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RF-DASH Online Course Purpose

Welcome to the Rural Firefighters Delivering Agriculture Safety and Health (RF-DASH) Online Course. This course is part of the broader RF-DASH program, which aims to equip rural first responders with agricultural health and safety knowledge to prevent farm injuries and improve emergency preparedness in rural communities. The RF-DASH program is designed to give rural communities peace of mind by building trust, sharing access to essential tools, and providing practical knowledge. It brings together farmers, ranchers, agricultural workers, emergency responders, and partner organizations to prevent injuries and save lives.

This course introduces fire/EMS personnel to the RF-DASH program, provides instruction in the core RF-DASH material, and discusses two technological tools that can be used to improve farm/ranch safety. First responders completing this course will be ready to work with farmers, ranchers, and other members of their community to improve agricultural emergency prevention, preparedness, and response.

The RF-DASH Online Course includes one introductory and five core modules. Select the buttons below to learn more about each of the modules.

Module 0: The Origin and Development of the RF-DASH program

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Module 0 provides an overview of the origins and evolution of the Rural Firefighters Delivering Agriculture Safety and Health (RF-DASH) program.

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Module 1: Introduction to Agricultural Emergencies

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Module 1 raises awareness among emergency service personnel (fire, rescue, EMS, police) about the many hazards on farms.

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Module 2: Pre-planning and Mapping Farms

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Module 2 discusses the importance of pre-planning and how to use pre-planning tools.

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Module 3: Farm Hazard Analysis

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Module 3 explains how to inspect and analyze farm hazards.

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Module 4: Farm First Aid

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Module 4 describes how emergency responders can teach first aid to farm/ranch families, farm employees, and other farm stakeholders.

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Module 5: Approaching the Farm Community

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Module 5 provides different avenues for emergency responders on how to approach farmers about farm safety.

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Course Design

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Course Navigation

The Modules and Lessons are located under the Curriculum tab at the top of this page.

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After selecting the Curriculum tab, you will see the Main Menu. It is located on the left of your screen if you are viewing this course with a laptop. Select the Module(s) to expand and view its contents. This will take you to the next sections of the course.

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When you are in the sections, you can move through the content using the Next and Previous buttons located at the bottom of the page. Alternatively, you can always use the Main Menu on the left to navigate directly to the different modules or sections.

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Welcome

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How can the RF-DASH online course benefit your community?

This online course equips agricultural health and safety practitioners with the tools to address the challenges in implementing safer farming/ranching practices. Agricultural operations are separate, independent enterprises and most are exempt from governmental regulations. In fact, many U. S. farms and ranches (estimates as high as 90%) remain exempt from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards as they have 10 or fewer unrelated workers (Kelsey, 1994; U.S. Department of Labor, 1998). Some states have stricter OSHA programs that help reduce injuries and deaths, but farm safety experts mostly rely on non-regulatory methods to improve safety on farms.

Additionally, there are not enough trained safety consultants to provide farmers with safety recommendations. Agricultural operations are diverse. They have varying landscapes, commodity types, machinery, and structures. There are also numerous people present on any one day or during any one season. Individual agricultural sites are often separated by long distances, presenting a tangible gap that can make face-to-face interactions with many participants costly in terms of both time and money.

By training practitioners in safety and health farm practices, this course empowers you to over come these challenges. The result is improved health and safety outcomes for agricultural workers and their communities.

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Train Others and Spread RF-DASH Knowledge

This online RF-DASH course is designed to equip firefighters and EMS personnel with the knowledge and skills necessary to address the unique safety and health challenges present in agricultural communities. As you process through this online course, you will understand the critical need for this specialized training and your vital role in preventing injuries and incidents on farms and ranches. You will learn to recognize the complexities of agricultural operations, identify common hazards, and effectively pre-plan for farm/ranch emergencies. Furthermore, this course will empower you to conduct farm/ranch hazard analyses, train agricultural community members in essential first aid, and build strong, collaborative relationships to promote a culture of safety within your agricultural communities. By the end of this course, you will be prepared to serve as proactive agricultural safety advocates, making a tangible difference in the well-being of those you serve.

The curriculum is developed, maintained, and supported by industry-leading experts from a variety of backgrounds, including fire/EMS, occupational medicine, research, and agricultural health and safety. Most fire departments in North America are volunteer-based and have service areas that include a large number of diverse agricultural operations. We want you to be an advocate for RF-DASH, to expand its reach to others in your community, and be a rural firefighter/EMS that delivers agricultural safety and health.

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