Seven Maryland Fire Departments Win Grain Rescue Tube Equipment

DAVIDSONVILLE, MD – Grain bins play an essential role in agriculture, securely storing large quantities of grain before it reaches sale or processing. However, they also present serious risks to farmers, including entrapment, which can lead to life-threatening situations.
Through Nationwide Insurance’s Grain Bin Safety Week initiative, and support from additional Maryland agriculture stakeholders, seven Maryland fire departments have been awarded life-saving grain bin rescue equipment. In addition, Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company received specialized retraining in grain bin rescue operations. As a proud partner of Nationwide, Maryland Farm Bureau (MDFB) supported this vital safety program with a generous donation and encouraged nominations statewide through its local county chapters.

Winners of Rescue Tubes from Maryland:
- Maugansville: Maugansville Goodwill Volunteer Company (Washington)
- Forest Hill: Harford County Special Operations Team (Harford)
- Upperco: Upperco Volunteer Fire Department (Baltimore/Carroll)
- Cecilton: Cecilton Volunteer Fire Department (Cecil)
- Woodbine: Lisbon Volunteer Fire Company (Howard/Carroll)
- Church Hill: Church Hill Fire Department (Queen Anne)
- New Midway: New Midway Fire Company (Frederick)
The training is led by the Director of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) Dan Neenan. The hands-on component consists of a state-of-the-art grain entrapment simulator. Attending EMS and fire department personnel practice proper extraction procedures for both a fully engulfed and partially engulfed victim.
“Maryland Farm Bureau is proud to support the safety of our farmers through our strong partnership with Nationwide,” said Parker Welch, Executive Director of MDFB. “Together, we’re equipping our dedicated first responders with the essential training and resources to help prevent these tragedies.”
According to the 2022 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities, more than 300 grain entrapments have been recorded in the past decade. In 2021, at least 29 grain entrapments were reported, resulting in 11 fatalities. In June, fire and rescue personnel from Frederick and Washington Counties were dispatched to Pennsylvania to respond to a grain bin entrapment.
In July, local fire departments received grain bin rescue training at Maryland Grain Producers Commodity Classic event in Centreville. Click here to watch a short social media video from MDFB about the demonstration and view photos from the event on MDFB’s Flickr.