Related Articles & Publications
MAPPING DANGER (Centre Daily Times)
By Dena Pauling - dpauling@centredaily.com
PENNSYLVANIA FURNACE -- Agricultural students from the State College Area School District and across the state are taking trips to 16 local farms over the next two weeks to gather information that could save someone's life.
With permission from property owners, members of FFA, formerly Future Farmers of America, are marking where fuel tanks, chemicals and other hazardous materials are stored on farms. That data will be added into aerial maps, placed inside plastic tubes and stored at hidden locations on each farm.
Emergency responders will know the location of maps. In a barn fire or other incident, the information could come in handy to help protect themselves and the neighborhood.
"The goal over the next few years is to map every farm in each school district and county," said Paul Heasley, a State College agricultural science teacher who took groups of students to various farms this week. "It's strictly voluntary and this is a potential benefit for the farmer."
Students Dustin Fleck, 15, of Pennsylvania Furnace, and Vance Brown, 15, of Stormstown, were among those who participated in the "Saving Area Farms Effectively" project.
Their first job began at 9 a.m. Wednesday at Ron Connelly's dairy farm off Tadpole Road in Pennsylvania Furnace, where Fleck's father works.
Students spent most of their time interviewing Connelly and used a GPS unit to mark the future location of the tube. They showed Connelly an example of what the map would look like after using GIS software.
"This is probably one of the easier farms for me to do because I live here," said Fleck, who traveled with the group to three other properties Wednesday.
Randy Rockey, Centre County's emergency management director, said the maps will provide "invaluable information for the responders."
Similar details are available for chemical facilities, and Rockey recalled how useful that information became when a fire ripped through Centre Chemical Co. in Bellefonte two years ago.
"When that burned, it was crucial that we knew what chemicals were where," he said. "... The responders need to know the hidden dangers to them when they are at an emergency."
Although chemicals and substantial fuel sources may be stored on local farms, farmers are not required to report that information, he said.
Emergency responders already have the capability to use GPS and won't need to purchase any additional equipment to locate the maps.
This isn't the first time a group has tried to map local farms.
About eight to 10 years ago, a local emergency planning committee tried to garner support for a similar program. But the task, Rockey said, just became overwhelming for the volunteer group.
"There was also some resistance from the agricultural community about us wanting to know where their chemicals were," he said. "Times have changed now and obviously the FFA, the farmers and ag community are really on board."
Connelly said he wasn't nervous about sharing information with students.
"It's nothing that personal," he said.
The FFA plans to have information available at the Grange Encampment and Fair and Penn State's Ag Progress Days this summer, Heasley said.
Dena Pauling can be reached at 231-4619.