Norman County Firemen Participate in Grain Bin Rescue Training
Ada, MN — Dozens of firefighters from across Norman County gathered together on Saturday morning to learn more about grain bin entrapment and how to safely rescue or recover a victim of a grain bin incident. The training was led by Jack Volz, who has been working and studying grain bin rescues for nearly 30 years with his company Safety and Security Consultation Specialist. It only takes a few seconds for an individual to become completely buried by flowing grain and the force required to remove a person can exceed 2,000 pounds. Volz says more times than not, they are recovering a body versus rescuing a living person, but with technology and training they are slowly changing that.
As to what leads to a grain bin entrapment, the biggest issue is grain management. Volz says bin rescues are a rarity in years when the grain is in good condition.
Volz provided training on how to use grain bin rescue tubes and how to properly rig a harness to a grain bin. To do that he brought with him a custom trailer with a mock bin to simulate what it’s like to buried up to your chest in grain. Firefighters took turns rescuing a victim and rigging the equipment. Volz says not only is it important to practice what to do in these situations so that they can potentially save a life, but also so that the firefighters themselves aren’t injured in the process.
Ada Assistant Fire Chief Bruce Visser helped coordinate this weekend’s training, which took place at the Cory & Katie Jacobson Farm near Ada. Visser says there are grain bins on every farm in the area and accidents are a reality of where we live, so fire crews need to be ready to respond.
Because fire departments are often working together on their calls, Visser says it was important that they did this training together with members of all the departments from the county.
On average, nearly two dozen people are killed each year in the US in grain entrapment incidents.
See photos from this weekend’s training on our website, rjbroadcasting.com. The training was made possible thanks to West Central Ag Services, Mustang Seeds, Ag Country Farm Credit Services, the Jacobson Far, and the City of Halstad.
