Rural firefighters ‘get their hands dirty’ with grain rescue training

Among the farm states where grain entrapment is most common, Iowa has an unfortunate distinction. The state leads the nation in cases that, without the right training and equipment, can quickly turn tragic.

That made the Iowa State University (ISU) Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex in Ames, Iowa, a fitting backdrop for an October 2024 grain safety event. The Nationwide grain bin safety team and National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) leaders provided training and equipment with some of the area’s first responders who are often called upon to save lives from grain entrapment. The event featured an interactive demonstration and discussion led by Peosta, Iowa-based NECAS Director Dan Neenan. He’s an experienced firefighter and farm safety expert. He also leads training programs around the U.S. to share lifesaving instruction and equipment like grain rescue tubes with firefighters and other rural first responders.

Among the firefighters in attendance were members of the Gilbert-Franklin Volunteer Fire Department. The rural department became the latest to receive a grain rescue tube from NECAS and Nationwide, as did the ISU feed mill at the October event. In the last decade, almost 400 fire departments in 32 states have received the specialized equipment and training as part of Grain Bin Safety Week. This includes more than 10,000 individual first responders.

“Seconds matter whenever someone’s trapped. Our goal is to equip these firefighters with the tools and knowledge to take advantage of every second and save lives,” said Neenan, who’s organized similar training programs for over 20 years. “This is the kind of hands-on training that enables these firefighters to get out here, get their hands dirty and truly prepare themselves to save lives otherwise lost to grain entrapment.”

Sharing lifesaving knowledge on grain entrapment

Facilitated by Neenan and supported by the Nationwide team, the NECAS grain bin entrapment simulator offered a realistic, interactive learning environment. The training emphasizes the importance of quick response techniques. It also instills confidence in the participants’ abilities to effectively handle emergency grain entrapment situations.

Why grain safety training is so important today

This training and awareness it creates come at a crucial time; grain entrapments have increased almost 50% since 2021. In 2022 alone, 42 cases of grain entrapment were reported around the country, the highest number in a decade. Though it's estimated 30% of grain entrapment cases go unreported, those 42 instances alone resulted in 15 deaths.

"All it takes is four seconds for someone to sink knee-deep in flowing grain. All it takes is 20 seconds for someone to be completely overwhelmed. That's why grain bin safety is so important to us at Nationwide," said Nationwide Senior Risk Management Consultant Paul Stevenson, who attended the October 2024 training. "But 100% of grain entrapments are preventable. And with this training and equipment, we hope we can help prevent this tragic loss of life."

Get involved with grain safety in your area

Visit Grainbinsafetyweek.com to learn about how you can organize a grain safety event and nominate your own fire department to receive specialized rescue equipment and training.