By Blake Jackson
The Center for Dairy Excellence will host its next “All Things Dairy” monthly conference call on Wednesday, November 19 at 1 p.m. EST, offering an opportunity for organizations and dairy industry partners to exchange timely updates, resources, and event information relevant to the dairy community. This month’s session will focus on fire safety and emergency preparedness for dairy operations.
The call will feature a panel of speakers, including a Pennsylvania dairy producer, a local fire company chief, and an educator from Penn State Extension. They will share practical fire prevention strategies, personal experiences, and guidance on creating effective emergency response plans.
“Dairy farms are busy operations with a lot of moving pieces, so fire safety and emergency preparedness are important parts of having a safe and proactive workplace for your team,” said Valerie Mason-Faith, Risk Education Manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “We appreciate this month’s panelists who plan to share firsthand experiences and advice for preventing emergencies. We hope you can join us for this conference call.”
During the session, Jennifer Metzler of Pleasant View Farms in Blair County, Pennsylvania, will recount her family’s experience with an unexpected parlor fire that affected their 3,700-cow herd. She will discuss their immediate response and the preventive measures they’ve implemented since.
Randy Acker, Chief of the Martinsburg Volunteer Fire Company, will provide dairy-specific fire prevention tips, focusing on barns, silos, and practical safety measures.
Greg Martin from Penn State Extension will explain how to build a farm emergency response plan and outline ways to prioritize preparedness across farm operations.
Participants will be able to ask live questions during the call.
How to join:
Photo Credit: center-for-dairy-excellence
Categories: Pennsylvania, Livestock, Dairy Cattle, Rural Lifestyle, Farm Safety