On February 2, 2025, RF-DASH Trainers Greg and Chris Johnston taught a hybrid RF-DASH/Ag Rescue Training course as a part of the Winterfest EMS Conference in Maryland. Greg and Chris are new to the RF-DASH program, but have been teaching on related topics for many years. They visited Wisconsin and attended the three-day combined RF-DASH and Ag Rescue Training Train-the-Trainer event in October 2024. Here’s what Chris had to say about her and Greg’s recent activities:
“My husband Greg has been teaching Fire and Rescue classes for over 25 years. He is a retired career firefighter and a current Fire Marshall. I am a retired University of Maryland Extension educator who has been teaching Agriculture Safety for 30 years. We attended a weekend Ag Rescue Training hosted by Dave Hill from Penn State about fifteen years ago and ever since have worked together to co-teach ag safety and rescue classes with volunteer and career firefighters and EMS. We are always looking to improve our information and teaching methods and attended the RF-DASH and Ag Rescue Train-the-Trainer session in October 2024.
Our first effort to teach the new material was a “hybrid” 8-hour RF-DASH/Ag Rescue class held on Sunday, February 2, 2025. The class was a part of the Winterfest EMS Conference and had 17 participants. The Winterfest EMS Conference is an annual 3-day event hosted by Talbot County Department of Emergency Services in Maryland. It draws participants from all over the Delmarva Peninsula. The intention was to provide dynamic hands-on training that would develop interest in the participants to return to their departments/counties and then request further training.
In addition to our teaching props, a local farmer brought in a combine with a corn header, an articulated tractor, a self-propelled sprayer, and hay implements. A local fire department brought a Heavy Rescue unit with cribbing and rescue tools. The morning was spent on lectures and tabletop displays and the afternoon was spent rotating through rescue scenarios. Scenarios included auger entanglement, patient extrication from a combine bin, corn head entanglement, removing a patient from under an implement, and understanding and securing hydraulics.
Overall, the training was a huge success. The evaluations were very positive because the topic was “new” to the participants. Participants were interested in the possibility of a full RF-DASH and/or Ag Rescue Training program at department or county levels. The Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems Director of Trauma and Injury Specialty Care Programs visited during the afternoon sessions and is interested in meeting to discuss incorporating agricultural emergency response and preparedness in their Maryland provider continuing education.”
The RF-DASH Team appreciates this work. The possibility of some of RF-DASH or ag rescue being incorporated into the Maryland EMS continuing education is especially exciting. We look forward to future updates from Greg and Chris!
