Rural fire fighters are often the first and only line of defense when someone becomes helplessly trapped in grain. Unfortunately, many fire departments lack the specialized rescue techniques and tools for a successful grain bin rescue because of high costs. But for the last several years an insurance company has been donating tools to use.
As part of Grain Bin Safety Week (Feb. 19 ? 25, 2017), Nationwide is teaming up with CHS, West Side Salvage, KC Supply, the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) and other partners to award first responders with grain bin rescue tubes and hands-on rescue training to help save lives.
?Grain bin safety week was created by Nationwide Insurance. It started a few years ago with the contest for farmers and others to nominate their local fire department to win a grain bin rescue tube and training,? National Education Center for Agriculture Safety Director Dan Neenan says.
?In the first year, Westphalia, Kansas won the one tube we were able to give away. A year later they actually had a person in a neighboring city that was trapped to their chin in grain. They were able to use the tube and training to successfully rescue him out.?
Many rural fire departments do not have grain rescue tubes because they are expensive.
?Just to put together a grain bin rescue team for a volunteer fire department you are talking about six to $7,000 by the time you do the tube, the auger, the harnesses, the roping, the rigging and everything involved with it,? Neenan says.
Neenan says last year they gave out 19 rescue tubes in 14 different states. Nominate your fire department here.
