58 fire crews get life-saving grain rescue tools from Nationwide

Rural communities continue to face hazards associated with working in and around grain structures, as grain entrapments are the leading cause of confined space-related injuries and deaths. To help prevent tragic accidents, Nationwide and its partners provided life-saving grain rescue tubes and training to 58 fire departments across rural America through its 2024 Grain Bin Safety campaign.

In partnership with the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, Nationwide, and its partners have now supplied grain rescue equipment and training to 390 first responders across 32 states, eclipsing over $1.7 million in resources provided to help prepare them when local grain entrapments occur.

“Grain bin accidents continue to be a critical issue facing the agriculture industry,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “Since beginning the Grain Bin Safety campaign in 2014, at least 13 fire departments have successfully used their rescue tubes and training to save entrapped individuals, with six rescues occurring just in 2024.”

After receiving over a thousand nominations in the 2024 Nominate Your Fire Department Contest, an annual component of Nationwide’s Grain Bin Safety advocacy campaign, the insurer and its partners are proud to have awarded grain rescue tubes and training to  58 fire departments this year.

NECAS, based out of Peosta, Iowa, delivered the rescue tubes and training to 58 fire departments, conducted re-training for seven additional fire departments, and hosted two unique presentations throughout 2024, traveling to each location with state-of-the-art grain entrapment simulators. The comprehensive training sessions included 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 entrapments and accidents on the rise, it’s as important as ever to be following proper safety precautions before entering a bin,” said Liggett. “Visit our Grain Bin Safety page to find educational resources and tools to help maintain grain quality and prevent accidents. Thank you to our generous partners who have supported this cause.”

Nationwide continues to work with partners throughout the year to provide additional grain rescue tubes and training sessions to fire departments in need.