Training Program Gives First Responders Skills For Grain Bin Rescue

When stored grain forms hard bridges, columns and other irregularities, those working to correct it find themselves at risk of becoming trapped inside bins, creating the need for local  firefighters to respond. However, many first responders lack the training necessary to handle these types of situations.

To help promote grain bin knowledge and safety, the Ohio AgriBusiness Association and Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) are partnering to host the 2015 Bin Entry Tech Training Program. This four-day program is designed to give first responders hands-on training with grain bin rescue for emergency situations at commercial operations and farms.

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Conducted by the Safety and Technical Rescue Association (SATRA), and led by professional firefighters, participants will learn about issues surrounding grain bins, OSHA standards, air monitoring and more. They will also build practical skills, like rope and harness work, during the first two days to prepare them for more advanced scenarios in later sessions.

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During days three and four, first responders will learn rescue procedures using 130-foot grain bins at the Trupointe Cooperative Grain Safety Training Center. Firefighters will work in teams of eight to plan and lead rescues in the bins, with SATRA teachers on-site to monitor and check participants’ work. At the conclusion of the training, students will work through an entire rescue scenario, from the first call through the grain bin rescue.

Grain Industry Attendance & Sponsorship

Grain industry employees are able to attend the first two days of the program and receive the same training as the first responders, including the beginning skills in ropes and harnesses, and observe the rescue scenarios firefighters perform.

“Grain industry employees are able to see what it takes to pull off a rescue,” said Steve Queen of GEAPS, who coordinates the training program for Ohio. “We are seeing a culture change in the industry, with employees working safer by working smarter.”

Grain elevator companies may send one representative to the training when they sponsor a local firefighter from Ohio. The sponsorship allows companies to take responsibility of the safety issue in the grain industry and helps prepare local first responders for an emergency.

Grain-related companies, such as industry manufacturers and suppliers, are also able to contribute through program sponsorship, which provides funds to help with miscellaneous program costs, including lunches and beverages for participants, in addition to the hotel costs for firefighters. Any leftover funds through sponsorships will be used to purchase rescue equipment for future trainings. Some equipment is also donated to local fire departments for use in rescues.

Registration

The 2015 Bin Entry Tech Training Program will be held August 18-21 in Sydney, OH. Registration is due by July 10. In addition to the full training, a refresher course is offered each year. For more information or to register an employee or sponsor a firefighter, visit oaba.net/events.

The Ohio AgriBusiness Association is a membership-based agribusiness state trade association whose membership includes the manufacturers and wholesale/retail suppliers of plant nutrient and protection materials, the grain warehousing and marketing industry, the feed and seed industry, as well as companies providing equipment, financing, insurance, consulting, and other products and services for the agribusiness industry. We are the leading advocate for Ohio agribusiness by creating a sustainable business climate through collaborative policy leadership, continuous education and effective communication.

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