VIDEO: On Monday afternoon, first responders with Rockingham County Fire and Rescue dove feet first into a grain bin to better prepare for the unexpected.
In 2019, the agency applied for a grant with Nationwide Insurance and the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) for a grain rescue tube, along with hands-on rescue training.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NECAS was unable to deliver the supplies and training in 2020.
But this week, NECAS was able to finally provide the supplies and training.
From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., firefighters climbed into a grain bin simulator, filled with real grain provided by Rockingham Cooperative.
The goal for each team was to rescue the sunken firefighter using six panels, provided by NECAS.
“We’ll go in and we’ll have two other firefighters build the tube around them, sink it down and then evacuate the grain,” Dan Neenan with NECAS said.