Equine Guelph has declared November "Fire Prevention Education Month" and has released "ABC’s of Fire Extinguishers," a new barn fire prevention resource.

Do you have the right fire extinguisher for your barn and horse trailer? Find out from firefighter Robert Nagle in a new video available below. Learn about this and more barn fire safety practices throughout November 2022 as part of Equine Guelph’s Fire Prevention Education Month, an initiative funded in part by the governments of Canada and Ontario through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (The Partnership).

Check out the top three causes of barn fire, watch more illuminating videos and download all sorts of handy barn information sheets including checklists for inside and outside of the barn at TheHorsePortal.ca/FirePreventionTool.
 
Ready to further reduce the risks in your barn? Horse barns are full of combustible materials. Learn to see your barn more through the eyes of a fire prevention and safety officer in the upcoming short online course, "Fire and Emergency Preparedness," running Nov. 21 – 28, 2022. Emergency preparedness will also be a focus including identifying potential emergency threats in your region and developing a disaster plan. For example: Could a 13 foot high, 12 foot wide, 40,000 pound fire truck make it down your farm driveway and navigate a turn around your barn? Would your entire barn family know the evacuation plan and where to meet up on the property in the event of an emergency? Preparedness is paramount for cool heads to prevail in a high-pressure situation.
 
Equine Guelph's past students give plenty of reasons for practising preparedness and not putting learning about fire prevention on the back-burner:
 
“I signed up for fire and emergency preparedness as I have always had an interest in disaster and preparation," said Kim Houlding, DVM, MS, owner, trainer and breeder at Staker’s Acres in Madrid, Iowa. "After losing a horse in a fire a couple years ago, I have become more interested in advocating for fire safety.”
 
“The Fire and Emergency Preparedness course is a must for any horse facility owner or manager," said Pamela Nunn, facility owner and coach  at Thanksgiving Farm in Toledo, Ont. "Tons of useful information that could help prevent future tragedy.”  

“I learned a lot, the online portal was easy to navigate and the course content was helpful and thorough but not too time consuming to be obstructive to completing the course on a busy schedule," said Leah Ricketson of Campbell River, B.C. "I think every person who owns a facility or manages a barn should complete this course -- they have a duty to their animals and their customers to do so! But I also recommend that boarders and horse owners complete it, as you might be the one in the barn when an emergency occurs!”     

Course instructor Dr. Susan Raymond will share practical ways horse owners can lower risks in their barns while guiding the class to develop their individual disaster plans.

“We expect the discussion boards to be full of important questions and are pleased to have two wonderful guest experts joining us,” said Dr. Raymond.

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, remarked on the importance of supporting animal care: “Our investment in Equine Guelph helps raise the standard in preventative equine care by building greater awareness of best animal care practices. Their continued commitment to providing up-to-date resources helps Canada’s equine industry stand out internationally.”
 
“Fire prevention in barns and trailers is critical to keeping our animals safe and our business stable,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “Our government continues to support resources like the Fire and Emergency Preparedness course and Fire Prevention Tool through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, so that horse and livestock owners can access the tools and training they need to protect their animals.”
 
Dr. Rebecca Gimenez-Husted will return to shed light on burning questions. Husted is an international expert in the areas of Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, fire prevention and emergency preparedness. A past logistics officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security) Veterinary Medical Assistance Team (VMAT -2), decorated combat veteran and a major in the United States Army Reserves, she is active in various organizations related to disaster preparedness.
 
Equine industry leader Mike King from CapriCMW Insurance Services will be the second guest expert to help students talk about insurance issues for business sustainability. He will be fielding questions regarding insurance issues that many are currently facing and discussing potentially unforeseen challenges that may crop up in the future.

Make prevention a priority and register today for the one week online course, Fire and Emergency Preparedness, scheduled to begin Nov. 21.

Take the first step today by investing five minutes to complete the free questionnaire at TheHorsePortal.ca/FirePreventionTool to find out if your barn passes a 10-category risk assessment.
 
Thanks to Equine Guelph’s generous safety education supporter, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services, this online resource in barn fire prevention has been made possible.
 
This initiative is paid for in part by the governments of Canada and Ontario through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership), a five-year, $3-billion commitment by Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments that supports Canada’s agri-food and agri-products sectors. This includes a $2 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

(With files from Equine Guelph)