Fire department’s new equipment needed for agricultural rescue situations
Geary County Extension Office Agent
And raise money they did. The total cost of the project was
"Grain rescue is a serious issue in agricultural communities. I don't know how many people we lose every year. We've lost several people in
When a person becomes stuck in grain, it acts more like a fluid than a solid. Rescue crews bring a platform, which is part of the equipment obtained by the fire department, to stand on. The platforms can hook together, keeping rescue crews from sinking. They can then place a harness on the victim, so when they start removing grain, the victim won't continue sinking. Crews would need to make a dam around the victim to keep grain from spilling in around them. They use large, light weight, flexible, metal sections which firefighters push into the grain, completely surrounding the victim. Once the dam is secure, rescue workers will take an auger with a drill on one end pulling grain from inside the dam, an removing it through a shute, and away from the victim.
Now with grain rescue equipment of their own, the
Fire Chief
"They were trying to raise the money so we didn't have to dig into our budget for something that we desperately needed," Johnson said. "It's one of those odd things. But the community coming together, this makes it more important to us."
Prior to obtaining the new grain equipment, Otte said the department would have to access it from
"That's too far away," he said.
Local firefighters have undergone grain rescue training through the
"We'll be going back through, hopefully, on a regular basis when we can get a schedule and have it here so we stay on property," Johnson said. "That's the whole name of the game -- staying on property."
Should someone fall into a grain elevator, Johnson advised that, before rescue teams arrive, that person should stay calm, and try to deter someone else from jumping on top of the grain and moving around as the grain will shift. Should someone else jump inside the elevator, they should have a platform to stand on to distribute the weight.
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