Grain Bin Rescue Tube Winners Announced

Des Moines, IA - Nationwide, the No. 1 farm insurer¹, is pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Nominate Your Fire Department Contest held in conjunction with Grain Bin Safety Week.Now in its third year, the 2016 contest generated a record 641 nominations and will provide tubes and training to 19 fire departments across 14 states — another record:

• Dyersville Fire Department, Dyersville, IA
• Adams Fire Department, Adams, NY
• Oldham Fire Department, Oldham, SD
• Carsonville Fire, Carsonville, PA
• Sipesville Volunteer Fire Company Inc., Sipesville, PA
• Millersport Fire, Millersport, OH
• Wilmington Fire, Wilmington, OH
• Roseland Rural Fire, Roseland, NE
• McPherson County Rural Fire District #1, Canton, KS
• Western Greene Fire District, Paragould, AR
• Mid Piatt Fire Protection District, White Heath, IL
• Louisville Fire Department, Jefferson, GA
• Ceylon Fire, Ceylon, MN
• Westby Christiana Fire District, Westby, WI
• De Smet Volunteer Fire Department, De Smet, SD
• Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, Shelby, MT
• Big Sandy Volunteer Department, Big Sandy, MT
• Kenmare Fire Department, Kenmare, ND
• Cass Township Volunteer Fire Department, Portsmouth, IA

“Thanks to the generous and increasing support of our partners, who help the contest continue to grow each year,” said Nationwide Agribusiness President Brad Liggett. “While accident prevention is our No. 1 goal, we’re committed to helping equip first responders with the necessary grain rescue equipment and training.” 

Each department listed above will receive a grain rescue tube and learn specialized extraction techniques to help rescue farmers and other workers who may become dangerously entrapped inside of a grain bin.

Dan Neenan, director of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), will provide the hands-on rescue training using a state-of-the-art grain entrapment simulator. Loaded on a 20-foot trailer and able to hold approximately 100 bushels of the grain, the simulator is the perfect training ground.

Members of Dyersville Fire Department were first to receive their tube and training on Aug. 1, 2016. The Adams Fire Department followed on Aug. 3.

“A huge thank you to Nationwide and all who contributed to the contest’s success,” said Al Wessek, chief of the Dyersville Fire Department. “The tube and training gives us the opportunity to bring an emergency situation back to some sense of normalcy.”

Sponsors of the 2016 contest include CHS, West Side Salvage, GSI, KFSA, M.F. Block Insurance, Barry Walker Agency, ABIS, KC Supply Co Inc., Scoular Co., Authur J. Gallagher, The Mennel Milling Company Sukup Grain Handling, Drying and Storage Equipment, Sump Saver, National Education Center for Agricultural Safety and the National Farm Medicine Center. 

In three short years, the contest has awarded tubes and training to 32 fire departments. In 2015, the contest awarded 12 fire departments across 11 states. The first year’s winner — the Westphalia Fire Department in Kansas — used their new tube and skills in 2015 to rescue a man who became entrapped in a grain bin.For additional information about the program, please visit our Grain Bin Safety Week page or see the contact information above.