Image courtesy of Nationwide
Insurance company Nationwide has awarded grain bin safety tools and training to 62 fire departments across various rural communities in the United States. Done through Nationwide’s Grain Bin Safety program, the company whittled down the selections from more than 750 nominations sent in via the 2025 Nominate Your Fire Department Contest.
“With two rescues this summer, six in 2024, and a total of 15 lives saved since the program began in 2014, Nationwide’s Grain Bin Safety program continues to make a powerful and lasting impact in communities across the country,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. He was referring to 2025 incidents on back-to-back days this summer, where emergency calls in Illinois and Minnesota turned into life-or-death moments for trapped farmers — both ultimately ending in successful rescues. “We’re grateful to the firefighters and community partners who have turned training and equipment into saved lives — proof that these resources truly make a difference.”
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.
This brings the totals to 452 first responders across 35 states that Nationwide and its partners have now supplied grain rescue tubes and training to throughout the program’s history. That eclipses over $2 million in resources provided, to help prepare them when local grain entrapments occur.
This year’s recipients are:
- Adamsburg Volunteer Fire Company – Adamsburg, PA
- Baltimore County Fire Station – Parkton, MD
- Boalsburg Fire Company – Boalsburg, PA
- Boardman Oregon Fire Rescue District – Boardman, OR
- Bono Fire Protection District – Bono, AR
- Breeding Area Volunteer Fire Department – Breeding, KY
- Camp Dick Fire & Rescue – Lancaster, KY
- Canby Fire Rescue – Canby, MN
- Cass-Clinton Volunteer Fire Department – Wanatah, IN
- Clearwater Fire Department – Clearwater, KS
- Columbia County Fire District 3 – Dayton, WA
- Coulterville Fire – Coulterville, IL
- East Prairie Fire Department – East Prairie, MO
- Eaton Fire Protection District – Eaton, CO
- Edgewood Fire Department – Anderson, IN
- Elkville Fire Department – Elkville, IL
- Fairland Volunteer Fire Department – Fairland, IN
- Felton Community Fire Company – Felton, DE
- Fire Department Mount Joy – Mount Joy, PA
- Fischer Rescue Squad – Fort Payne, AL
- Forreston Fire Protection District – Forreston, IL
- Frankford Volunteer Fire Company – Frankford, DE
- Genesee Fire Department – Genesee, ID
- Harmony Volunteer Fire Department – Olin Station – Olin, NC
- Hazleton White River Fire Territory – Hazleton, IN
- Henry Volunteer Fire Department – Henry, SD
- Holly Volunteer Fire Department – Holly, CO
- Howard Volunteer Fire Department – Avoca, NY
- Hudson Fire Department – Hudson, IL
- Hugo Fire Protection District – Hugo, CO
- Kennedyville Volunteer Fire Department – Kennedyville, MD
- Kenova Volunteer Fire Department – Kenova, WV
- Kent Fire Company – Madison, IN
- La Junta Fire Department – La Junta, CO
- Lehr Fire District – Lehr, ND
- Manchester Volunteer Fire Company – Manchester, MD
- Martinsburg Area Fire Protection District – Martinsburg, MO
- Midway Fire Protection District – Stark City, MO
- Millstadt Union Fire Department – Millstadt, IL
- Minneota Fire Department – Minneota, MN
- Montgomery Fire Department – Montgomery, MI
- Montgomery County Special Operations – Gaithersburg, MD
- Montgomery Fire Protection District – Montgomery City, MO
- Morgantown Rural Fire Department – Morgantown, IN
- Nemaha Rural Fire Department – Nemaha, NE
- New Plymouth Fire Protection District – New Plymouth, ID
- North Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department – North Fairfield, OH
- Queen Anne-Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Company – Queen Anne, MD
- Radcliffe Fire Department – Radcliffe, IA
- Ritzville Fire Department – Ritzville, WA
- Rosalie Rescue Squad – Pisgah, AL
- St. John Volunteer Fire Department – St John, WA
- Stella Rural Fire Protection District Station 3 – Stella, MO
- Story City/Lafayette Township Fire Department – Story City, IA
- Transfer Volunteer Fire Department – Greenville, PA
- Troy Mills Fire Department – Troy Mills, IA
- Upland Rural Fire Department – Upland, NE
- Valley Township Fire Department – Danville, PA
- Vigilant Hose Company – Emmitsburg, MD
- Volunteer Hose Company of Middletown – Middletown, DE
- Woodland Township Fire Department – Woodland, MI
- York Springs Fire Company – York Springs, PA
The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, one of Nationwide’s partners in this project, built upon this list and provided re-training for the following 10 fire departments:
- Axtell Volunteer Fire & Rescue – Axtell, NE
- Carthage Fire Department – Carthage, MO
- Clear Spring Volunteer Fire Company – Clear Spring, MD – re-training scheduled for 2026
- Golden City Volunteer Fire Department – Golden City, MO
- Granger Fire Department – Granger, IA
- Missouri Soybean Association Event – Columbia, MO
- Polo Fire Protection District – Polo, IL
- Seaford Volunteer Fire Department – Seaford, DE
- Toledo Fire Protection District – Toledo, IL
- Washington County Fire Department – Hoyleton, IL
Nationwide continues to work with partners throughout the year to provide additional grain rescue tubes and training sessions to fire departments in need. To learn how to get involved or sponsor a rescue tube for your local fire department, visit Nationwide’s Partner With Us webpage.
