ASBURY, Mo. — Agricultural experts say it only takes about 20 seconds for an adult to fall victim to a grain bin. It actually resulted in 11 deaths in 2021.
Prevention is the focus of two training events this week. The first was held earlier tonight at the “Asbury Fire Protection District.” It’s thanks to “Specialty Risk Insurance” — which donated the equipment to the “Asbury Fire Protection District.” Officials with the “National Education Center for Agricultural Safety” will be on the road the next two weeks to train departments in rural communities across the Midwest.
When an adult falls into a grain bin, firefighters now have the capability of rescuing the person with a grain rescue tube. The tube is made of metal panels that piece together, making a circle around the trapped person. Rescue personnel then place an auger in the grain surrounding the person – to extract the grain. The person is then able to free themselves by pulling themselves out – or receiving help from first responders.
Asbury’s new equipment will also benefit 6 neighboring departments.
“Our department alone, which is a very small volunteer department, we cover 45 square miles of area, so, and all the other departments cover large areas, and there’s darn near a grain bin every, probably about every square mile, there’s at least one-grain bin. And the bins are getting larger and larger as time goes by,” said Tim Bartley, Volunteer Firefighter, Asbury Fire Protection District.
“We walk through how we set the tube up, then we actually put it into practice. We fill our trailer with about 120 bushels of grain. We actually physically sink people into the grain with an auger. The very thing we’re going to teach ’em not to do. We’re gonna simulate them having an accident. We’re gonna sink them down to their waist, and then the fire department is actually gonna go in there, use their rescue tube, and rescue them,” said Brian Freese, National Education Center for Agricultural Safety.
