JOHNSON COUNTY — Grain bins are a common sight in rural Indiana, but the crushing weight of agriculture can be deadly if you end up inside one. Firefighters are often the first to respond to grain bin accidents, which means their strategies could save lives.
Firefighters from the Bargersville and Indianapolis fire departments simulated a grain bin accident on a Johnson County farm and worked together to find a solution. The two departments would likely serve side-by-side if a real grain bin emergency happened.
"This is hands-on training with live silos, live farm equipment, and grain bin rescues," said Kaleb Buchanan of the Bargersville Fire Department. "It's really important for us. This is a low occurring event, but a high-risk event."
Bargersville firefighters know the risk through experience. Most notably, 80-year-old farmer Dick Henderson fell in his grain bin and died in 2007.
Buchanan has served on the Bargersville Fire Department for four years and has already responded to one grain bin accident.
"It is a high-stress event because you just don't know what you're walking into when you get there," Buchanan said.
Firefighters are hoping people stay as safe as possible around grain bins. However, they are now prepared if the worst-case scenario takes place.
"When they show up and we have an incident, if it was to happen, we're going to run like a well-oiled machine," Buchanan said.
