Rescue Ready: 58 Fire Crews Get Life-Saving Grain Rescue Tools

Des Moines, IA – Rural communities continue to face hazards associated with working in and around grain structures, as grain entrapments are the leading cause of confined space-relate injuries and deaths.1 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 (NECAS), 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 the following 58 fire departments this year: 

1. Alicia Volunteer Fire Department – Alicia, AR
2. Amity Volunteer Fire Department – Franklin, IN
3. Aubbeenaubbee Volunteer Fire Department – Leiters Ford, IN
4. Burnettsville Volunteer Fire Company – White, IN
5. Bushkill Township Volunteer Fire Company – Nazareth, PA
6. Cecilton Volunteer Fire Department – Cecilton, MD
7. Chautauqua County Emergency Services – Mayville, NY
8. Church Hill Fire Department – Church Hill, MD
9. Clinton Township Fire Department – Tiffin, OH
10. Citizens Hose Company – Smyrna, DE
11. City of Ludington Fire Department – Ludington, MI
12. City of Russell Fire Department – Russell, KS
13. Conway Fire Department – Atkins, AR
14. Crabtree Fire Department – Crabtree, PA
15. Dickeyville New Paris Fire – Dickeyville, WI
16. Edinburg Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. – Edinburg, VA
17. Elberon Fire and Rescue – Elberon, IA
18. Froid Volunteer Fire Department – Froid, MT
19. Gilbert-Franklin Township Fire Station – Gilbert, IA
20. Golva Rural Fire Protection District – Golva, ND
21. Grafton Volunteer Fire Department – Grafton, OH
22. Hannaford Fire Department – Hannaford, ND
23. Hartford County Special Operations Team – Forest Hill, MD
24. Hartly Volunteer Fire Company – Hartly, DE
25. Hockessin Fire Company – Hockessin, DE
26. Hoffman Fire Protection District – Hoffman, IL
27. Iowa State University Feed Mill – Ames, IA
28. Iselin/West Lebanon Fire Company – Saltsburg, PA
29. Jasper Volunteer Fire Department – Jasper, MN
30. Jefferson Township Fire Department – Bowersville, OH
31. Jessamine County Fire District – Nicholasville, KY
32. Lake of the Four Seasons Fire Force – Hebron, IN
33. Lawrence County Fire & Rescue – Lawrenceburg, TN
34. Lisbon Volunteer Fire Company – Woodbine, MD
35. Madison Township Volunteer Fire Department – Mulberry, IN
36. Marion Fire Company – Stounchsburg, PA
37. Maugansville Goodwill Volunteer Fire Company – Maugansville, MD
38. Melrose Volunteer Fire Department – Melrose, IA
39. New Midway Fire Company – New Midway, MD
40. Newell Volunteer Fire Department – Newell, WV
41. North Marshall Fie Department – Britton, SD
42. Northmoreland Township Volunteer Fire Company – Dallas, PA
43. Norway Fire & Rescue – Norway, IA
44. Penn Township – Vandalia, MI
45. Petit Jean Fire Department/Conway County Volunteer Fire Department – Morrilton, AR
46. Poe Volunteer Fire Department – Ft. Wayne, IN
47. Red Bud Fire Department – Red Bud, IL
48. Rowan County Rescue Squad – Salisbury, NC
49. Royalton Volunteer Fire Department – Royalton, IL
50. Scipio Fire Department – Scipio Center, NY
51. Stuttgart Fire Department – Stuttgart, AR
52. Tate County Emergency Services – Senatobia, MS
53. Teutopolis Fire Protection District – Teutopolis, IL
54. Towanda Fire Department – Towanda, IL
55. Upperco Volunteer Fire Department – Upperco, MD
56. West Mineral Volunteer Fire Department – West Mineral, KS
57. West Point Volunteer Fire Department – West Point, IN
58. Wheaton Fire Protection District – Wheaton, MO
59. Maryland Commodity Classic – Centreville, MD – presentation
60. Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company – Jarrettsville, MD – re-training
61. Harrington Volunteer Fire Company – Harrington, DE – re-training
62. Elgin Beaverdam Hose Company – Erie County, PA – re-training
63. Rome Fire Department – Rome, OH – re-training
64. Portland Volunteer Fire Department – Portland, IN – re-training
65. Rushville Township Volunteer Fire Department – Rushville, IN – re-training
66. Dermott Fire Department – Dermott, AR– re-training
67. Salem, South Dakota high school students and community members – presentation

NECAS, based out of Peosta, IA, 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 is continuing 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 the Partner With Us webpage.

The program is supported by Nationwide, NECAS and the following generous partners:

KC Supply, NECAS, Nationwide Agribusiness, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Maryland Grain Producers, Horizon Farm Credit, Lutz Agency, Inc, Specialty Risk Insurance, CHS, Delaware Soybean Board, Maryland Soybean Board, Valley View Agri-Systems, Farm Credit Mid-America, ProValue Insurance, LLC, Delaware Farm Bureau, GROWMARK, Gregerson Salvage, Inc., Kelly Jones Insurance Agency, LLC, West Side Salvage, Nutrien, Noble Insurance Agency, LLC, Panichelle Insurance, Ohio Farm Bureau, New York Farm Bureau, Maryland Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Mark Bruns Agency, Nationwide Agribusiness Marketing, ABIS/Assured Partners, Gallagher, Tippecanoe Farm Bureau, TrueNorth Companies, Clouse Electric, Sump Saver, Tiffin Farmers Cooperative, Gateway FS, Farm Credit IL, Clouse Construction, NOHR Wortmann Engineering, IRMI, Clinton Township Fire Department, Chautauqua Farm Bureau, Allen Excavating, G & L Shell.

About Nationwide

Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by Standard & Poor’s. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; and pet, motorcycle and boat insurance.

For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.