WHAT IS PENNSYLVANIA FFA SAFE?
FFA SAFE is a student-led effort in Pennsylvania to develop detailed Farm Emergency Response Maps for use by local emergency responders. The program allows FFA youth the unique opportunity to learn important mapping, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and GPS (Global Positioning Systems) skills while also helping farm owners and operators to be proactive in emergency planning to minimize financial loss and potential environmental impacts. Read more about the importance of FFA SAFE.
Above: a sample Farm Emergency Response Map. This project provides multi-fold benefits to students, landowners and first responders. Students will gain a valuable working knowledge of GIS and GPS, farmers gain added security for their property in the event of an emergency and first responders gain the important information they need to safely and efficiently protect landowner property.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
FFA students, under the direction of FFA advisors in their local schools, will produce farm emergency response maps that identify features on a farm that are important for emergency response personnel, such as firefighters. Producing the map will require farmer approval and a visit by the student where they will collect data to produce a Farm Emergency Response Map. Students will return to their schools and use computerized geospatial mapping technologies to produce a final farm emergency response map. The map will be placed in a location on the farm determined by the landowner, to be used by first responders in the event of an emergency.
How To Get Involved
There are many ways to get involved with the FFA Farm Safe project:
- Information for Teachers / Schools
- Information for Landowners
- Information for First Responders
- Information for Students
Who is Supporting FFA SAFE?
FFA SAFE is supported
by a variety of agricultural
organizations including
the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences,
PA’s agricultural member
organizations, PA Agribusinesses
and PA emergency
responder groups.
Questions?
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