Men in a bin

Men

in a

bin

Firefighters trained in grain bin rescues

The Express Staff

Red Oak firefighters participated in a grain bin rescue training held recently at the Red Oak Fire Department.

Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau & Professional Rescue Innovations provided the training. It covered multiple areas, scenarios, and tactics for conducting a grain bin rescue.

“The Red Oak Fire Department recently put our Special Operations Trailer in service. This allows our department to offer Grain Bin Rescue and Confined Space Rescue services,” said Fire Chief John Bruce. “Due to the generous contributions of multiple Red Oak Businesses, United Farmers Mercantile, Red Oak Rural Fire Protection Association, and Farm Credit Services of America, the trailer has been equipped with the necessary rescue equipment to perform the confined space/grain bin rescue operations.”

Other agencies represented during the training were the Grant and Villisca fire departments, and Montgomery County Emergency Management.

Farm Safety Week

This is National Farm Safety Week, Sept. 18-24. 

The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) has sponsored the National Farm Safety and Health Week since 1944. The event is a reminder that agriculture is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, and that farm injuries and fatalities are preventable through education.

NECAS is the agricultural partner for the National Safety Council and serves the community from its hands-on farm equipment safety training center on the Northeast Iowa Community College campus in Peosta. 

There are webinars the rest of this week from noon to 1 p.m. Topics are youth safety on Wednesday, confined spaces on Thursday, and underground utilities on Friday. You can register at necasag.org.