CAMDEN — First responders with Hockessin and Harrington Fire Companies were awarded a specialized training July 28-29 from Delaware Farm Bureau through Nationwide’s Grain Bin Safety advocacy campaign.
Hockessin received a grain rescue tube, while Harrington had received theirs in 2019 during their initial training. The resources will be used to help protect against grain entrapments, which result in dozens of deaths across rural America.
Every year, thousands of farmers and commercial grain handlers risk their lives by entering grain bins to remove clumped or rotted grain. As rural communities have come to know all too well, the risks of entering grain bins continue to be overlooked.
“It only takes seconds, or a simple mistake, for an adult to sink in the quicksand-like flow of grain and become fully entrapped or engulfed,” said Brad Liggett , president of Agribusiness at Nationwide.
“Adding to the risk is a lack of rescue equipment available to local fire departments and emergency responders who are called for help when a worker becomes trapped.”
To help lead the fight against these accidents impacting agricultural communities, Nationwide began its Grain Bin Safety campaign in 2014 to bring awareness to the hazards of entering grain structures and to equip fire departments with the resources needed to respond effectively.
Harrington and Hockessin are two of more than 332 fire departments to receive these resources and benefit from the program since its inception.
Mikayla Paul, Delaware Farm Bureau assistant executive director, said, “It is very important to us that our local fire companies are well-prepared for in the case of grain entrapment.”
She noted the attendance of representatives from Shiff Farms. “We were happy to see employees from Schiff Farms attend the training, as grain bin safety is a part of their daily lives.”
The grain rescue tube delivery and training was conducted by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) and included simulations of entrapments and rescues using a state-of-the-art grain entrapment simulator, which is loaded on a trailer and able to hold about 100 bushels of grain.
Since 2014, at least 11 rescues have utilized these resources, including recent rescues in Arkansas and Indiana.
“With long-standing roots in agriculture, we’re thankful for the work America’s farmers do and for the contributions of our valuable partners who help us make a difference with this campaign in rural communities,” said Liggett.
To learn more or view grain bin safety resources, visit thinkgrainbinsafety.com .
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