SEVERE WEATHER PROCEDURES

1)Monitor the weather for changing or severe weather entering the area including pending systems, watches and warnings.

2)All announcements will be updated and announced as situations change at least hourly to keep visitors and staff informed.

3)For severe weather warnings or watches in counties adjacent to the site:

  1. Each volunteer supervisor will be responsible for notifying their members of pending severe weather. Command will put notification to FTD volunteers on Channel 16 of the FTD radios.
  2. FTD Directors will be notified by command post dispatchers via ICS command channel with information and need to announce the appropriate warning.
  3. FTD staff will relay the “General Severe Weather” announcement over the PA in Tent City over any portable PA system in the Field Demo areas and at the Home Tour area.
  4. Command Post dispatchers will notify on site Fire, EMS and Law Enforcement personnel by radio.
  5. American Red Cross personnel will be notified of current situation.

4)For severe weather watches and warnings that include Portage County:

  1. Each volunteer supervisor will be responsible for notifying its members of pending severe weather. Command will put notification of FTD volunteers on Channel 16 of the FTD radios.
  2. FTD Directors will be notified by Command Post dispatchers via ICS Command Channel with information and need to announce the appropriate warning.
  3. FTD staff will relay the “General Severe Weather” announcement over the general PA in Tent City and over any portable PA system in the Field Demo areas.
  4. Command Post dispatchers will notify on site fire, EMS and law enforcement personnel by radio.

5)Public Evacuation

  1. Upon issuance of a Tornado Warning or Severe Thunderstorm Warning impacting the show site of significant nature an evacuation will be initiated.
  2. Decision to evacuate the public will be made by:
  3. Safety Officer or Incident Commander
  4. FTD Executive Committee
  5. Upon order to evacuate the grounds announcements will be made over the public address system advising people to evacuate the grounds. Command Post dispatchers will notify on site Fire, EMS and law enforcement personnel by radio.
  6. FTD directors will be notified by Command Post dispatches via radio with information and need to announce the proper weather warning. FTD staff will relay the relevant severe weather announcement over the general PA in Tent City and over any portable PA system in the Field Demo areas. Command will put notification on the evacuation over Channel 16 of the FTD volunteer radios.
  7. Parking staff will be notified to be prepared for people exiting the parking areas in an orderly manner.
  8. Upon order to evacuate the grounds attendants at all gates will be instructed by command to remove sections of fencing for easier egress for the public.
  9. Sheriff Deputies on grounds will be directed to assist in crowd control and direction.
  10. A portable Wisconsin Department of Transportation Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) has been provided to assist in advising visitors of shelter location. Visitors will be directed to tune their vehicle radios to AM radio station 1620 for the advisory information. This information will be printed in the Farm Technology Days Program.
  11. Emergency shelter is designated as:

Woodlands Church
190 Hoover Avenue
Plover, WI 54467
(715) 341-0800

The Plover Police Department has been notified of the plan to use the locationas a shelter. Emergency Management has coordinated the use of the facility to be used as a shelter and will have the facility opened for use if needed.

  1. The American Red Cross will be notified of the decision to evacuate and that people are being evacuated to the listed shelter. The Red Cross may be requested to send personnel to the shelter location if possible and only when it is safe.
  2. Should a tornado be imminent the Incident Commander will order a “SHELTER IN PLACE” command.
  3. Dispatchers will announce “Shelter in Place” command on all public safety frequencies and on channel 16 of the FTD radios.
  4. All remaining emergency services personnel will be ordered to seek shelter in low lying areas which are in the ditches on surrounding roads.

6)Public Address Announcements:

  1. All announcements for weather or evacuation procedures as written in Addendum 1 should be read over the general PA in Tent City and on the mobile PA’s at field demonstrations.

Contact has been made with the National Weather Service in Green Bay. Immediate notification of severe weather impacting the site will be relayed directly to the Command Post via standard dispatch notification practices.

MISSING/FOUND PERSONS PROCEDURES

At an event the size of FTD, it is safe to assume that members of parties will become separated or lost. If there are circumstances that jeopardize the health and/or safety of one of the separated parties, the Command Post should be notified. Command will use all resources at its disposal to aid locating the lost/separated party. Such circumstances may include but are not limited to:

1)Children who become separated from their caregiver/parent

2)Vulnerable adults or the elderly who become separated from their party

3)An individual with a medically significant condition that is separated from their party

The following procedures will govern the Emergency Services response to missing or lost persons:

1)Upon learning that one of the above listed persons becomes lost or is missing the Command Post should be notified immediately.

2)Command will dispatch officers to the location where the caregiver/party are to obtain specific information about the missing person. Fire and EMS can also be utilized at this location to begin the dissemination of personal identifying characteristics of the missing persons. A search of the immediate area will be started.

3)The caregiver/reporting party should be directed to the medical tent to await news, updates and to be made available to investigating officers.

4)If a search of the immediate area does not result in the discovery of the lost/missing person, the FTD Headquarters will be notified to make a general announcement of the “MISSING PARTY”. This announcement should be made verbatim utilizing the script provided in Addendum 2. An announcement may also be made over Channel 16 to all FTD Staff. A description of the individual and the location of the individuals group will be given in this announcement.

5)Command will then direct a grid search of the area starting from the last known location and working outward.

6)Should there be indication that the circumstances behind the disappearance are hostile or of ill intent; Command may order the temporary closure of the parking area exits. Upon ordering this closure, officers will be directed to the exit areas to assist with voluntary searches of exiting vehicles.

7)If the missing party is not located officers will take a formal missing person report and make the proper notifications and alerts.

8)In the event the person is found they will be taken to their party at the medical tent for reunification. The general “FOUND PARTY” announcement will be made over the PA system. All FTD staff will also be notified over Channel 16.

9)In the event an individual reports themselves as missing from their party they should be taken to a medical tent and the “FOUND PARTY” announcement should be made over the PA system. The group that the individual is missing from should be directed to the medical tent for reunification.