'In June, we were dispatched to help a neighboring department needing assistance with an individual entrapped in a grain bin,' saidВ Nick Zeeh, fire chief for theВ WauzekaВ Fire Department. Most recently inВ June 2019, theВ WauzekaВ Fire Department inВ WisconsinВ utilized its rescue tube to save the life of a farmer trapped for more than an hour before he was discovered by a truck driver.

Utilizing the grain rescue tube and training provided to them nearly two years earlier, first responders were able to save the man's life even though he'd been engulfed up to his face in flowing corn. In 2017, the Glenville Fire Department in Minnesota received a call to assist a local farmer who had fallen into a grain silo. 'When we initiated Grain Bin Safety Week in 2014, the goal was to reduce the occurrence of grain bin accidents by raising awareness of the hazards and by equipping first responders with the tools and training needed to respond quickly when necessary,' saidВ Brad Liggett, president of Nationwide Agribusiness.ДЇour fire departments included in the program have already put their tubes and training to action by rescuing workers trapped in grain bins.

Since 2014, Nationwide has awarded grain rescue tubes and training to 111 fire departments in 26 states. Nominations for this year's Nominate Your Fire Department Contest are open until April 30. The goal is to help prevent injuries and fatalities by promoting safe bin-entry procedures when entry is absolutely necessary. To raise awareness of these dangers and prevent all-too-common accidents, Nationwide has launched its seventh annual Nominate Your Fire Department Contest in recognition of Grain Bin Safety Week.

Grain bin accident simulation