This year's Ag in Motion event featured a Grain Bin Rescue Simulation.

We need to see more Rural Fire Departments and Grain Terminals training personnel in Flowing Grain Bin Rescue.

That’s the view of Bill McCombs, CEO of Trans-Care Rescue Limited at Langham.

Last year in Saskatchewan six people lost their lives in flowing grain accidents.

McCombs and his crew were demonstrating the Grain Bin Rescue last week during Ag In Motion.

“It’s called the Great Wall of Rescue. It’s actually designed to go around the person that is trapped in flowing grain and then we have a rescue auger actually pulls the grain out from around them. So, what we do is we keep working it down around them and take the grain away from them. You can’t pull them out. If you try pulling them out, you’ll pull them in half, the grain holds you so tight. Once you got down basically to just above your knees, that will take over 500 pounds of force to pull you out.   The human body wasn’t designed to drop 500 pounds on.”

He notes ideally you should never enter a bin of grain, but if you do have to make sure you are wearing a safety harness and if you become engulfed in grain, try to cover your nose and mouth so you’re not breathing in the grain.

McCombs says it’s also important to make sure others are around and know to call 9-1-1 immediately if something should happen.

“They have to tell the people what the emergency is. So, they have to tell the 9-1-1 dispatcher that it’s a grain accident, or a flowing grain accident with a bin because the departments (fire) that are trained and equipped to do this safely and effectively are few and far between right now.”

The City of Swift Current, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Lloydminster, North Battleford and Carrot River are among the fire departments trained for Flowing Grain Rescue, while other departments in places like Redvers and Lumsden are currently working on training.