UT Extension News: Grain Bin Rescue Training

By Chris Hicks, County Director – UT Extension Smith County

Dozens of people are injured or killed each year in the U.S. in grain entrapment incidents. Flowing grain can act like quicksand and bury an individual in a matter of seconds. The pressure of the grain usually makes it impossible for the victim to escape and can even make assisted escape near impossible without specialized equipment.

The University of Tennessee Upper Cumberland Extension Team recently partnered with CATESA Farms and several ag industry sponsors to purchase rescue equipment and provide rescue training to nearly 100 farmers and emergency personnel. With more and more grain bins being built each year in the Upper Cumberland, it is important to not only provide education on the dangers associated with going into a bin, but to have first responders trained on how to have a successful rescue in case of entrapment. 

Because the grain’s weight and pressure can make it impossible for first responders to simply pull a victim out, special equipment and training are required for a successful rescue. In Smith County, the Smith County Farm Bureau sponsored the purchase of a “Great Wall”, a system of individual panels that are placed around the victim and driven into the grain, creating a barrier that relieves pressure on the victim and serves as a retaining wall so grain can be removed from around the trapped person.

Citizens Bank, Smith County Government, and UCEMC Cares Inc. also provided funding to purchase “turtle tubes” for local fire departments. This potential life-saving device is a lighter, rapidly deploying sleeve that is used to stabilize a victim until the Great Wall can be deployed. 

Many other sponsors helped to provide funding associated with the cost of the training, as well as providing equipment to the 7 other Upper Cumberland counties involved with the training. In total, these sponsors donated nearly $28,000 to purchase 20 rescue tubes and 5 Great Walls for Upper Cumberland counties. 

Our hope is that this equipment is utilized for further training and is never needed for a rescue, but having it on hand, along with trained farmers and rescue personnel, will give us a much better chance of a positive outcome if there ever is a grain bin entrapment in this area. You can find video about our training at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee6Fd9mIubM. 

Our thanks to the following sponsors for their support of the Grain Bin Rescue Training: Beck’s Seed, Smith Co. Farm Bureau, Citizen’s Bank, UCEMC Cares Inc, Smith Co. Government, CATESA Farms, TN Corn Growers Association, Macon Co. Government, Goddard Family Grant, Hopkinsville Elevator, H&R Agri-Power, Smith Farmers Co-Op, Rutherford Farmers Co-Op, TN Valley Resources, NCTC, Tri-Green, Tri-County Electric , Macon-Trousdale Farmers Co-Op, Gavilon, Dekalb Co. Farm Bureau, Overton Farm Bureau, Hix Bros. Tractor, Ag 1 Co-Op, Trousdale Co. Government, Trousdale Co. Livestock, Trousdale Co. Farm Bureau, Van Buren EMA, Van Buren Farm Bureau, White Co. EMS, Donald Hollingsworth, Putnam Co. Farm Bureau.