Red Deer County council has approved spending $10,000 a year for the next three years to support a new grain rescue training program. The approval came during council's recent regularly scheduled meeting.
The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) has been working on a project to provide both training for rescuers and the public by creating grain rescue training trailers, county manager Curtis Herzberg said in a briefing note to council.
“Their intent is to have units available for farm exhibitions and safety days, as well as to train first responders in grain rescue procedures,” said Herzberg.
The association hopes to produce three rescue training units at a cost of $100,000 each.
The county's agricultural service board has previously called on the county to support the project.
As a sponsor of the project the county will have its logo on the rescue training unit.
“Financial support of this project will not only provide exposure of Red Deer County as bring proactive, but will also give us access to a very valuable training tool for both our agriculture community and county emergency services,” he said.
“By financially supporting the project, the county will once again show leadership in the world of farm safety and emergency response, as we did with the creation of the first Canadian livestock response trailer.”
Meanwhile, council also approved updates to the terms of reference for the standing advisory committee that guides the alternative land use services (ALUS) programs in the municipality.
Members of the partnership advisory committee (PAC) provide advice and community input into the decision-making process that shapes how ALUS is delivered in Red Deer County, Herzberg explained in a briefing note received by council.
ALUS works with local municipalities, landowners and others on land stewardship projects, including regarding the preservation of wetlands.
The changes to the terms of reference have been made because the ALUS program has grown significantly in the county since the original terms were adopted in February 2014. Both the agricultural service board and council had recommended that the terms of reference be revised once the ALUS program had grown significantly.
Under the updated terms of reference, the 10-member PAC will be made up of one councillor, one agricultural service board member, three farmers and ranchers at large, two ALUS farmer liaisons and three members of the local agro-environmental government.
Issues requiring oversight and guidance by PAC include the following:
• Reviewing and deciding on potential agricultural producer/landowner projects based on ALUS principles.
• Establishing payment structure and amount for each agricultural producer/landowner project.
• Monitoring demonstration parcels to ensure continued conformance with landowner agreements.
• Deciding on the participating of external organizations, businesses and individuals.
• Communicating with external organizations.
• Acting as a liaison between Red Deer County administration, council and the producer community.
• Promoting ALUS in Red Deer County and in the PAC members' professional and social networks.
• Hearing, collecting, recording and acting on public feedback where and when appropriate.
The terms of reference states, in part, that, “Decisions of PAC will be reached by consensus as much as possible, where consensus is defined as ‘close enough to agreement that there is no formal objection'. PAC works primarily to advise and direct the general direction of ALUS within the community. If necessary, formal votes will be called and the majority will rule.”
"Their intent is to have units available for farm exhibitions and safety days, as well as to train first responders in grain rescue procedures."Curtis Herzbergcounty manager
