Woolstock firefigters receive grain bin rescue training

The Woolstock Fire Department received life-saving grain bin rescue equipment through a donation from Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica). A grain bin rescue exercise followed to train firefighters in the use of the specialized equipment.

The Woolstock Fire Department received a 10-panel system, slide hammer and other accessories manufactured by Outstate Data in Elbow, Minn. The equipment is designed by rescuers specifically for grain bin entrapments.

Even as the overall rate of serious injuries and fatalities on farms has fallen, the number of grain bin entrapments remains stubbornly steady, in part because the country’s high grain production has led to more bins that require more grain workers.

Grain can engulf and bury a worker in less than 30 seconds. The Woolstock Fire Department recognizes that grain bin rescue equipment significantly increases the chance of saving a life. The Woolstock Fire Department is among the 96 rural and mostly volunteer departments receiving grain bin rescue equipment and training through FCSAmerica in 2016. Most of the recipient departments are part of mutual aid agreements that allow multiple communities to use and benefit from the equipment.

 

For the full story, see the June 23 edition of the Monitor.

Wright County Monitor

P.O. Box 153
Clarion, IA 50525
Phone: 515-532-2871
Email: news@wrightcountymonitor.com

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