FRANKFORD, Del. — The Frankford Volunteer Fire Company has received a grain rescue tube and specialized training through Nationwide’s Grain Bin Safety campaign, with support from the Delaware Farm Bureau. The equipment and hands-on instruction are designed to help local firefighters respond to grain entrapment emergencies.
The presentation took place Oct. 4 and included on-site training conducted by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety using a mobile grain entrapment simulator that holds roughly 100 bushels of grain. Firefighters learned how to use the rescue tube to safely extract trapped workers during simulated emergencies
One of the engines in the fleet of first responder vehicles in Frankford (Frankford Volunteer Fire Company).
“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.”
Frankford is one of more than 390 fire departments nationwide to receive a grain rescue tube and training since the program began in 2014. At least 13 successful rescues have been credited to the effort so far, including six last year.