April 17, 2009
Charitable Gift Enables
Hospital to Donate Farm Equipment
for Safety Demonstrations
A tractor and
cultivator purchased by Carle
Foundation Hospital's
Center for Rural Health and Farm Safety and donated to the Illinois Fire
Service Institute was initially put into service on April 19 to train emergency
personnel on agricultural rescues.
The equipment
purchase was made possible through the estate of the Bernice and Zelma Holl.
These two sisters asked that their gift to The Carle Development Foundation be
used to expand the hospital's farm safety efforts in rural communities. "Tractors are the
leading cause of death to farmers in Illinois
as well as nationally," according to Amy Rademaker, farm safety specialist for Carle Foundation
Hospital. She estimated
that more than 170 Illinois
farmers died from tractor overturns between 1986 and 2007. "The gift from the
Holl sisters will help us educate emergency personnel on proper management
emergencies involving tractors and farm machinery."
The donated farm equipment was used for the first time
during a three-day Agricultural Emergency Training program April 17 through
April 19 at the Illinois Fire Service Institute (11 Gerty Drive, Champaign).
The 20-hour training was taught by instructors from the Penn State Agricultural
Emergencies program."
This is one of many efforts we are making to better
prepare rural agencies for agricultural emergencies," Ms. Rademaker continued. "It's
Carle Foundation
Hospital's way of helping promote a healthier
outlook for the Illinois
countryside."
Carle Foundation
Hospital's Center for Rural Health and
Farm Safety was created in 1991 to provide farm safety and injury prevention
education and resources to residents of east central Illinois. The Center plays an important role
in preparing emergency medicine personnel to respond quickly and effectively to
farming accidents and illnesses.
To learn more about
Carle Foundation Hospital's
Center for Rural Health and Farm Safety or to support its efforts, please visit
www.carle.org/farmsafety.
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