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58 fire departments nationwide win life-saving grain rescue equipment

58 fire departments nationwide win life-saving grain rescue equipment
Nationwide’s Grain Bin Safety campaign has awarded 265 rescue tubes across 31 states to first responders in need since 2014

Des Moines, IA. (June 21, 2022) — Grain bin accidents send shockwaves through rural communities as farmers and grain handlers know all too well how quickly entering a grain bin can turn deadly. To help prevent these accidents that result in dozens of lives lost each year, Nationwide is providing lifesaving resources to rural America’s first responders.

In partnership with the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), Nationwide is awarding 58 fire departments across the country with grain rescue tubes and hands-on training to prepare them to respond when local grain entrapments occur.

After receiving more than 1,800 nominations across 45 states in the annual Nominate Your Fire Department Contest, a key piece of Nationwide’s Grain Bin Safety advocacy campaign, the insurer and its partners are proud to award grain rescue tubes and training to the following 58 fire departments:

  1. Allegany County Special Operations, Cumberland, MD
  2. Argusville Fire Department, Argusville, ND
  3. Ashley Fire Department, Ashley, IN
  4. Ashley Fire Protection District, Ashley, IL
  5. Atalissa Volunteer Fire Department, Atalissa, IA
  6. Baring Volunteer Fire Department, Baring, MO
  7. Bel Alton Volunteer Fire Department and EMS Co 10, Bel Alton, MD
  8. Bennet Rural Fire District, Bennet, NE
  9. Brandon Fire Department, Brandon, IA
  10. Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association, Westminster, MD
  11. Central Ohio Joint Fire District, Centerburg, OH
  12. Clayton Fire Company, Clayton, DE
  13. Clear Spring Volunteer Fire Company, Clear Spring, MD
  14. Cordova Fire Protection District, Cordova, IL
  15. Covington Fire & Rescue, Inc., Covington, OH
  16. Jefferson County Department of Emergency Services, Brookville, PA
  17. Dwight Rural Fire Department 6, Dwight, KS
  18. Elderton District Volunteer Fire Company, Elderton, PA
  19. Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Company, Fleetwood, PA
  20. Genoa Fire Department, Genoa, NY
  21. Georgetown Fire Company, Inc. Station 77, Georgetown, DE
  22. Hamlet Fire Department, Hamlet, IN
  23. Hebron Volunteer Fire Department, Hebron, MD
  24. Highland Pierron Fire Department, Pocahontas, IL
  25. Hillsboro Fire and Rescue, Hillsboro, IA
  26. Huntingburg Fire Department, Huntingburg, IN
  27. Illiopolis Fire Protection District, Illiopolis, IL
  28. Jefferson Township Fire and Rescue, Richmond Dale, OH
  29. Kenockee Township Fire Department, Avoca, MI
  30. Kinmundy-Alma Fire Department, Kinmundy, IL
  31. Lake Andes Volunteer Fire Department, Lake Andes, SD
  32. Lawrence Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Service, Lawrence, NE
  33. Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department, Leonardtown, MD
  34. Mabel Fire and Rescue, Mabel, MN
  35. Maeystown Fire Department, Maeystown, IL
  36. Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire District, Mechanicsville, MD
  37. Milo Rural Fire Department, Milo, MO
  38. Oakley Fire Department, Oakley, KS
  39. Ohiowa Rural Fire Department, Ohiowa, NE
  40. Ottawa County Rural Fire District #4, Bennington, KS
  41. Pleasant Unity Volunteer Fire Department, Pleasant Unity, PA
  42. Preston Volunteer Fire Company, Preston, MD
  43. Ripley Township Volunteer Fire Department, Alamo, IN
  44. Rome Fire Department, Rome, OH
  45. Saint Paul Mission Township Fire Department, Saint Paul, KS
  46. Scott Township Fire and EMS, Evansville, IN
  47. Seaford Volunteer Fire Department, Seaford, DE
  48. Silvercreek Township Fire Department, Jamestown, OH
  49. Spring Valley Fire Department, Spring Valley, WI
  50. Upham Fire Protection District, Upham, ND
  51. Watertown Township Fire Department, Mayville, MI
  52. Waubay Volunteer Fire Department, Waubay, SD
  53. West Kittanning Fire Department, Kittanning, PA
  54. West Plains Fire Department, West Plains, MO
  55. Westport Community Volunteer Fire Department, Westport, IN
  56. Williamsburg Volunteer Fire Company, Williamsburg, PA
  57. Windsor Fire Department, Windsor, OH
  58. Wood Lake Fire Department, Wood Lake, MN
  59. Audubon Fire Department (re-training only), Audubon, IA
  60. Guthrie Center Fire Department (re-training only), Guthrie Center, IA
  61. Hutchinson Fire Department (re-training only), Hutchinson, MN
  62. Johnston Grimes Metropolitan Fire Department (re-training only), Johnston, IA
  63. Superior Ambulance Service & Training Institute (re-training only), Grove City, PA
  64. Traer Fire Department (re-training only), Traer, IA


“We are proud to provide first responders the education and resources to lead the fight against local grain bin entrapments,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “It’s been our mission to bring an end to this industry issue by raising awareness of the dangers and suppling needed equipment to the front line rescuers tasked with responding when accidents occur.”

NECAS, based out of Peosta, IA, will deliver the rescue tubes and training to the winning fire departments throughout 2022, traveling to each location with state-of-the-art grain entrapment simulators and rescue tubes. The comprehensive training sessions include classroom education and rescue simulations using the entrapment tools, which are loaded onto 20-foot trailers and able to hold about 100 bushels of grain each.

With 2022 donations included, Nationwide and partners have supplied these resources to 265 departments across 31 states. At least five fire departments have utilized their rescue tubes and training to successfully rescue entrapped workers.

“It’s as important as ever to be following proper safety precautions when entering a bin,” said Liggett. “Our goal is to continue these efforts until we can ensure every rural fire department has access to these critical rescue resources.”

Nationwide is continuing to work with partners throughout 2022 to provide additional grain rescue tubes and training sessions to fire departments in need. To learn how to get involved and sponsor a rescue tube for your local fire department, visit the Partner With Us webpage.

“Thank you to our generous partners who have supported this cause to put an end to avoidable deaths in rural agricultural communities nationwide,” said Liggett.

The program is supported by Nationwide and the following generous partners:  

  1. KC Supply, NECAS, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Maryland Grain Producers, Lutz Agency, Inc., Specialty Risk Insurance, CHS, Delaware Soybean Board, ProValue Insurance LLC, Mid Atlantic Farm Credit, Scoular Grain, Turtle Plastics, Mark Bruns Agency, Ashtabula County Farm Bureau, TGIF Solutions, Inc., Armstrong County Farm Bureau, Maryland Soybean Board, West Side Salvage, GROWMARK, AGI SureTrack, Gregerson Salvage, Inc., Maryland Farm Bureau, Ohio Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, New York Farm Bureau, Delaware Farm Bureau, Kelly Jones Insurance Agency, LLC, Rugby Insurance Agency, Gerber Insurance Agency, Wiley Insurance Agency, Valley Insurance Agency Alliance, Jefferson County Farm Bureau, Panichelle Insurance, Colonial Farm Credit, Charles County Farm Bureau, St. Mary’s County Farm Bureau, Gallagher, Heritage Insurance & Real Estate, ABIS/Assured Partners, Ag Choice Farm Credit, D. Larson Financial & Insurance Services, Pillar Insurance, Sump Saver, NOHR Wortmann Engineering, IRMI, and Traer Fire Department.

About Nationwide
Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Nationwide, Nationwide is on your side, the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2022

1 Source: A.M. Best Market Share Report 2021

Nominate your fire department to win a grain bin rescue tube

Rural fire fighters are often the first and only line of defense when someone becomes helplessly trapped in grain. Unfortunately, many fire departments lack the specialized rescue techniques and equipment necessary for a successful grain bin rescue.

In conjunction with Grain Bin Safety Week (third full week of February), Nationwide teams up with the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), KC Supply1 and others to award emergency first responders with grain rescue tubes and hands-on rescue training to help save lives.

What you can win

Winning entries will be awarded:

  • One (1) grain rescue tube, valued between $3,000 to $5,000
  • One (1) six-hour grain entrapment rescue training session, at winner’s location, valued at up to $5,000

Winners and prizes are made possible by the generosity of our partners. Learn how you can partner with us to help save lives.

The annual grain bin rescue tube contest begins January 1st of each year

The contest begins on January 1 at 8:00 a.m. CT and extends through April 30 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Only entries submitted during this time will be considered for the contest.

To enter, describe how your local fire department or emergency rescue team and community would benefit from grain entrapment training and a rescue tube, and how the tube and training could be shared with nearby departments. Please include:

  • Your name
  • Occupation
  • Phone number
  • Mailing address
  • Email address
  • Name, address and phone number of the fire department or rescue team nomination

Nominations are accepted from the general public as well as from fire fighters who wish to nominate their own fire department. Employees and agents of Nationwide are not eligible to submit nominations for the contest.

Submit your entry during the contest: 

Limit one (1) entry per person, per email address and per household or department

Abbreviated rules

No purchase necessary. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Open to legal residents of the contiguous United States and the District of Columbia, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, who are at least 18 years of age at the time of entry. Void where prohibited. Enter Contest by: 4/30/22. Contest ends: 4/30/22. See Official Rules and prize descriptions.

Sponsor: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, 1100 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50391.

Contest history

Since 2014, the contest has received over 5,000 nominations and has awarded grain rescue tubes and hands-on rescue training to over 207 fire departments in over 31 states. Five of the tubes have been used to save the lives of five farmers.

Dan Neenan, director of NECAS, travels with a state-of-the-art grain entrapment simulator and rescue tube to the winning locations to conduct the training session. Loaded on a 20-foot trailer and able to hold approximately 100 bushels of grain, the simulator is the perfect training ground1.

As part of 2020’s event, Nationwide joined forces with Corteva Agriscience and hosted an event in Peosta, IA. Dan Neenan, director of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), conducted a live grain engulfment simulation and rescue demonstration. He submerged Marji Guyler-Alaniz, TV host and FarmHer® founder, in grain up to her waist — demonstrating for the audience how the tubes are used to extract someone who’s trapped in a grain bin. The event was live streamed on Facebook and received more than 782,000 views.

1Alternate training organizations utilizing similar training methods may be used. https://www.mynsightonline.com/libraries/sites/1/assets/RMT%20PDFs/GBSW21%20Contest%20Rules%20(1).pdf

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