North country emergency crews receive training on grain bin rescue tool

Aug. 04--Tweet

ADAMS -- Members of more than 20 fire departments in Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties were at the Adams Fire Department Wednesday for training on a new tool used to help rescue farmers from grain bin accidents.

The tool, known simply as a grain bin rescue tube, is a large, yellow cylinder used to free a person who has sunken into a grain bin and cannot move. Surrounding the victim with the cylinder allows firefighters to bail grain from inside the tube using a specialized auger, allowing the victim to climb out to safety.

The training was part of an event put on by Nationwide Insurance called "Grain Bin Safety Week." For the last four years, the company dedicates one week to selecting a handful of fire departments across the country who will receive a free rescue tube along with free training, valued at $3,500 combined. This year, the Adams Fire Department was one of 19 departments in the nation to receive a tube.

"It's our effort to pay back the community and to provide them with the tools they need to help save lives," Michael W. Spaulding said.

Mr. Spaulding, senior consultant of sponsor relations, said the company started the event after seeing grain bin accidents occur frequently nationwide.

The New York Farm Bureau partnered with Nationwide Agribusiness to spur interest in the program from New York counties. John W. Wagner, a field supervisor with the Farm Bureau, said he and Nationwide approached the Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence County Farm Bureaus to see if the region would be interested in entering the contest. They ultimately agreed to nominate the Adams Fire Department.

Mr. Wagner said social media helped gather public support to help the Adams department receive the tube.

"This is a great thing to have in the region," Mr. Wagner said. "We don't have one anywhere near the region, and this being such a huge agricultural area in Jefferson, Lewis and southern St. Lawrence, we thought there was a need for this."

While a grain bin incident has yet to happen in the north country, Adams Fire Coordinator Robert Simpson said farms have grown significantly in the last decade, meaning more grain bins and a higher risk of incident.

Mr. Wagner agreed, adding that farmers have been producing much more grain corn and soybeans in recent years.

Mr. Simpson said the Adams Fire Department will be able to share the tube with other area fire departments. Members of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety provided the training.

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