Local first responders are shown above participating in a grain bin training hosted by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety recently. The program, provided by Nationwide’s Grain Bin Safety advocacy campaign, trained firefighters and EMS from the Jerome Township Division of Fire, Concord Township Fire Department and Pleasant Valley Fire District at no charge to their departments. JTFD also received a six-panel, versatile grain rescue tube, being used by firefighters in the photo above. (Photo submitted)
The Jerome Township Division of Fire is now prepared and equipped for another type of emergency – grain bin rescues.
Fire Chief Douglas Stewart said he hopes the department never needs to use the training, but he knows the threat is imminent.
“This can and will happen,” he said.
JTFD is one of 48 fire departments to receive specialized equipment and training from Nationwide Insurance this year through its Grain Bin Safety advocacy campaign.
Stewart said it is a “significant cost savings” for the township, estimated at approximately $12,000.
The fire chief said he learned of Nationwide’s program and contacted the company to nominate JTFD.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to save taxpayer dollars through grants,” he said.
About a month later, Stewart said a local representative from Nationwide Realty Investors notified him that Jerome Township would be awarded. The department learned on a Friday that training would take place the following Tuesday.
“Everything just started falling into place,” Stewart said.
He said about 75% of his department participated, along with participants from the Concord Township Fire Department and Pleasant Valley Fire Department.
Stewart said the training began with one hour of classroom education.
“As more and more farmers have been killed (in grain bin accidents), we’ve learned from our mistakes,” Stewart said.
Firefighters and EMS learned about different types of grain bins and their features, as well as how to access individuals who are trapped in various portions of the silo.
Stewart said it was particularly useful to be trained in air monitoring. He explained that a lack of oxygen is often the main concern for those who become entrapped in grain bins.
Understanding how to monitor oxygen availability, especially in “massive” spaces like a silo, is crucial to carrying out a successful rescue, Stewart said.
Those in attendance also learned what equipment should be used depending on where the farmer is trapped – in the center of a silo, along the walls or in the auger.
Stewart emphasized that JTFD does not have an aerial ladder of its own, which forces the department to rely on mutual aid in many scenarios.
“When that’s not readily available, it’s the difference between life and death for that farmer,” he said.
That makes the equipment donated by Nationwide – a six-panel, versatile grain rescue tube – even more valuable.
Following the classroom education, the first responders used their new equipment during a three-hour, hands-on training session.
Trainers from the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) use a simulator filled with 100 bushels and “bury” a firefighter role-playing a rescue victim waist-deep.
From there, Stewart said the first responders surrounded the “victim” with the rescue tube and learned how to safely dig them out.
“It doesn’t give the full experience of a 200,000-bushel grain bin, but it’s realistic” and “very informative,” Stewart said.
The fire chief said grain bin training for JTFD firefighters has been a priority since he joined the department.
Stewart said firefighters and EMS are acquainted with the area and understanding that Jerome Township is “primarily rural.”
“West of (U.S.) 42, there are still a lot of farms and a lot of silos,” he said.
Two years ago, a number of JTFD firefighters underwent grain bin training hosted by Ohio State University and AgPro. However, Stewart said the department was still lacking equipment, which increased their potential response times dramatically.
Now, nearly all current JTFD first responders are trained and the department is better equipped to rescue anyone who might become entrapped.
“If we could save one life, it’s more than paid for itself,” Stewart said.
He noted that any resident who is interested in seeing and learning about the new grain tube equipment can stop by the fire station, 9689 U.S. Route 42, Plain City, Ohio 43064.
Stewart said firefighters are also working with farmers to tour silos and share information about the rescue equipment to better prepare both parties in case of an emergency.