Dan Neenan, director of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), is the recipient of the 2016 I-CASH Hall of Fame. I-CASH created the Hall of Fame award in 2002 to recognize individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to agricultural safety and health in Iowa.
A trained first responder, Dan serves as a Paramedic Specialist, Fire-fighter II with the Epworth and Centralia/Peosta Iowa Fire Department and received an MBA from the University of Dubuque in 2012. He serves on the Iowa EMS and I-CASH advisory boards, chairs the Iowa Community College Fire Program Manager task force, is treasurer of the Dubuque County EMS Association, and has served on the Progressive Ag Foundation Board.
Dan has conducted numerous education programs on site at NECAS, across Iowa and the US. One of his most recent efforts has been related to grain safety, which has been supported by OSHA and other resources. He has built traveling confined space demonstrations related to both grain rescue and manure pits that have been extremely effective for training first responders, farmers, and employees about the hazards, prevention strategies, as well as the rescue methods in response to confined space incidents. Dan’s trainings not only exceed their objectives, they save lives. His grain rescue training has resulted in communities taking successful action when grain entrapment occurs.
He is passionate about his work and is an innovative educator. Dan is a regular lecturer at the University of Iowa’s courses in Agricultural Safety and Health and regularly hosts very successful farm safety days for youth at his center. His hard work, and collegial style and manner over several years have made him a worthy recipient of the 2016 I-CASH Hall of Fame Award.