FAST for Virginia EMS Educators & Agencies
Are you a Virginia EMS Educator or EMS agency?
Help us reduce illnesses, injuries and fatalities in Virginia's agricultural industries. Our team will provide you with training resources, provide an orientation and training session, and work with you or your agency to prepare outreach materials. Our program goal is to reach 1,500 members of the target audience by September 30, 2024.
The FAST Program is in the fourth year of a planned four-year capacity building process. The grant team established has more training modules geared toward additional farm and agricultural hazards. Our goal is to build both the instructional capacity and an engaged workforce acting together to reduce injury, illness and death on the farm.
Agriculture is by far the largest industry in the Commonwealth, with more than 334,000 workers and $70 billion in annual economic impact. Virginia's 44,000 farms cover 32 percent of Virginia's lands and raise poultry, livestock, and many crops. By helping Virginia farmers work safely, you and your agency can:
- Reduce illnesses, injuries and fatalities in farming and agricultural operations throughout Virginia;
- Build relationships with these segments of your community; and
- Familiarize your responders with agricultural machinery, equipment, and the farm environment.
- Complete the Virginia interest form;
- Attend an Orientation / Train-the-Trainer session (around 4 hours via Zoom), with many scheduled options;
- Use the program and materials in your community;
- Keep us informed of training and outreach you perform (through simple online forms).
Talk to us - our goal is to help you make a difference in an at-risk population. We'll keep the process simple.
- Be an advocate for farm and agricultural safety.
- Provide training using the materials provided. They can be rebranded to your department, and added to, but the core content must remain intact as approved by OSHA.
- Recruit farm and agricultural employers and workers as participants for future programs with both VT and your organization.
- Provide timely information on your training and outreach activities as they are planned and occur.
- Work in a cooperative manner with the grant team.
- Training materials, including PowerPoint presentations, lecture notes, and student materials (PDF, with some available as printed). This includes Spanish-language materials.
- Access to the grant team for questions, ideas and support of your outreach efforts.
- Opportunities to have grant team members on-site in support of your outreach program(s) as schedule and budget permit.
- Networking opportunities with other public safety organizations and instructors.
The Harwood Grant does not allow for financial support or the incurring of expenses for any programs not offered directly by Virginia Tech Environmental Health & Safety. If you have questions about this aspect of the program please contact the grant team and we'll be glad to talk with you.