JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — Two men died Friday after being trapped in a grain storage bin in Toledo.
So its timely that the Jefferson Township Fire Department has received a grain bin rescue tube.
Chris Schiefer, president of Chris Schiefer Insurance, donated a grain bin rescue tube and grain vacuum to the Jefferson Township Fire Department in Crawford County on July 1. A grain bin rescue tube is a piece of equipment designed to aid in grain entrapment rescue situations.
“Nationwide Agribusiness’ corporate mission is to make donations like these across the country,” Schiefer said. “When the Crawford County Farm Bureau asked me to donate to the fire department, I couldn’t think of anything better in the insurance world to donate to.”
The Crawford County Farm Bureau hosted a farmer safety program last fall at Sunrise Co-op in Crestline. The program provided training to area farmers on grain bin safety and rescue and trauma training using a tourniquet. Crawford County Farm Bureau partnered with Nationwide to present the program, with an additional goal being to source a local fire department with a grain bin rescue tube. Schiefer decided to help with the donation of the rescue tube.
“The rescue tube is another piece of the puzzle to serve the agricultural community,” said Jefferson Township Fire Department Assistant Chief Ric Cochran. “With a lot of large grain bins in the territory, the rescue tube will make it safer for our guys and get to those in need quicker to provide for the best possible outcome.”
Jefferson Township Fire Department serves Jefferson and Jackson Townships in Crawford County with 21 volunteer fire fighters. The department is Rope Rescue Certified, a training program for the use of the grain bin rescue tube.
“The rescue tube could potentially save people’s lives, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be in grain. It is worth every penny if it can save one person’s life…a rescuer or farmer,” said Schiefer.
