Firefighter training goes against the grain

It’s a hot day, the sun is shining, Sloane Meyers is dressed all in black and she’s sweating.

Well, the top one-third of her body is sweating; the bottom two-thirds is cold. That’s because Meyers is partially submerged in a vat of corn. Meyers is a Brookfield firefighter and was a “victim” in a grain-bin rescue training exercise.

Brookfield hosted the two-day training June 6 and 7, which also was attended by firefighters from Newton Falls, Lordstown, Poland, Fowler, Kinsman and Cortland. Firefighter Brian Stanley set up the training by the Ohio Fire Academy, which brought a trailer outfitted with a grain bin that had been built by Ohio State University Cooperative Extension students.

Trainer Jason Fisher of Wauseon, Ohio, noted that agricultural-related rescues are not part of typical fire training. “But, when the farmer has a problem, who does he call? The fire department.”

Grain bin rescues require a lot of manpower and can take hours to complete, so multiple departments typically are dispatched, he said.

Farmers enter grain bins, which can house tens of thousands of bushels, depending on size, to check on the condition of the grain, repair machinery, check the level of the grain and break up consolidated – moldy – grain for removal. Especially with consolidated grain, there can be voids under the surface of the grain into which the farmer can fall. Grain can act like quicksand, pulling the farmer down.

Before any rescue can begin, firefighters need to check the level of oxygen in the bin because farmers sometimes add pellets that deplete oxygen to kill insects, Fisher said. Also, firefighters who are to enter the bin need to be tied off so they don’t become victims. Some bins come with handles for tie offs but many don’t, requiring an outside source, such as the ladder from a ladder truck. Firefighters also should offer the trapped person a mask to limit their inhalation of grain dust, and monitor their body temperature because hypothermia is a threat, Fisher said.

The auger at the bottom of a grain bin must be turned off and a firefighter or other first responder assigned to stay at the switch and make sure no one turns it on. Augers constantly pull grain down, which is bad news for someone trapped in the grain.

Brookfield Fire Department in 2022 acquired grain-bin rescue equipment from a grant through the Trumbull County Farm Bureau and a sponsor, Daprile Insurance Group/Nationwide of Warren. The equipment is six interlocking panels that are designed to be placed around the victim to stabilize the grain, and a small auger powered by a battery-powered drill that is used to remove grain from around the victim.

It’s key to keep the victim engaged and even participating in their own rescue, by placing floating crates by them so they can try to pull themselves free, or giving them an empty coffee can so they can help remove grain once the panels have been placed, Fisher said.

In large bins, the weight of the grain can put pressure on the victim. Meyers said she could feel the pressure once the panels were in place.

Fisher stressed that there is no one way to go about a grain-bin rescue. While there is specialized equipment for grain-bin rescues, such as the interlocking panels, one set might not be enough, especially in larger bins. Using items such as plywood, backboards, ladders, snow fence and milk crates could help stabilize the grain and give rescuers something to walk on, Fisher said.

While there is no typical rescue, there is one commonality with grain-bin rescues – “This is going to be an exhausting procedure,” Fisher said, noting there are typically two to six grain-bin rescues a year in Ohio.

The corn for the training was provided by Deerfield Farms in Portage County.

Following the training, Brookfield Fire Department bought ropes, harnesses and other equipment specifically for grain-bin rescues, said Fire Chief David Masirovits.