North Perth council recently endorsed a motion to sign on to the Farm 911/Emily Project initiative at the December 16 council meeting.
Matt Cardiff, Agricultural Specialist with the Municipality of North Perth, says the project came about after a tragic incident on a farm property in 2014 in Northumberland County.
"Unfortunately, the first responders attending the call were delayed in reaching the scene due to difficulties identifying where the incident occurred on the farm's property, and unfortunately a young girl named Emily Trudeau passed away," Cardiff said.
Cardiff says this program puts civic address signs at field entrances on vacant farm parcels, which can be a huge help.
"For farmers and their families, or employees, or just anyone else who might be on the farm that might not be familiar with the area, a 911 address sign is the quickest, easiest identifiable marker to direct emergency services to, which can be a real lifesaver in an emergency," noted Cardiff. "For emergency dispatchers and responders, it really cuts down on the time spent searching for the right location. It's a win-win speeding up response times and improving safety for everybody on the farm."
The North Perth Agricultural & Agri-Business Advisory Committee is encouraging anyone who wants the signage to contact the municipality. You can do so by contacting the North Perth GIS Technician at jroth@northperth.ca or 519-292-2058.
"Although farmers in North Perth have and are able to order secondary field entrance signs, joining the Farm 911 Project (The Emily Project) will bring more attention to the need to sign additional farm entrances that are away from the main farm driveways," said Tina Beirnes, Chair of the North Perth Agricultural & Agri-Business Advisory Committee. "Trying to direct first responders to 'the lane past the old stone foundation on the old Clark farm' can be something in the past. By joining this project and for a small fee, farmers can be sure that they can be easily found on any farm that they are working at."
“The Emily Project – which provides signage and municipal addresses to fields on vacant farm parcels – is a clear win for our agricultural community and for our first responders. I am excited to see our municipal government embrace this critical information infrastructure,” added Todd Kasenberg, Mayor of the Municipality of North Perth.