Indiana firefighters gain grain bin rescue skills from farmer-funded program

196 Indiana firefighters and first responders completed grain bin rescue training in 2026. The farmer-led program, funded by the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, also supplied rescue tubes to nine rural fire departments. Since the program began, responders have used this equipment and training to save three lives in Jackson, Putnam, and Shelby counties, according to council board members.

The initiative is now in its fifth year. Over that period, it has held 42 training sessions across the state. A total of 1,221 Indiana firefighters and first responders in 36 counties have participated in the program, the council reported.

The council partners with insurance provider Nationwide and the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety to supply equipment and conduct training. Farm Credit Mid-America provides additional funding for many of the sessions. Rural departments applied for grants to receive the resources, as many cannot afford the specialized gear on their own budgets.

Nine departments received new equipment this year. They include the Benton County Emergency Management Agency; Bowling Green Volunteer Fire Department in Clay County; Center Township Fire Department in LaPorte County; Elizabeth Volunteer Fire Department in Harrison County; Liberty Township Fire Department in St. Joseph County; Mexico Community Fire Association in Miami County; Roachdale Volunteer Fire Department in Putnam County; Skelton Owen Fire Department in Warrick County; and Webster Township Volunteer Fire Department in Wayne County.

Mat Berger, an Indiana Corn Marketing Council board member and farmer from Fountain City, attended firefighter training last week in Webster. “I don’t think you can really put a value on the lives saved through this program,” Berger said. He noted that the board hopes the equipment goes unused but wants rescuers to be prepared when it is needed.

A Purdue University report published in July stated that Indiana and Minnesota each reported five grain entrapments in 2025, the highest numbers among U.S. states. The national count for 2025 was 21, which was 38% fewer than in 2024. Susan Brocksmith, the council’s president and a farmer from Vincennes, said a simple mistake on a farm can quickly become a crisis. She described the funding as a wise investment for rural fire departments.

The council, the Indiana Soybean Alliance, and Farm Credit Mid-America plan to offer equipment and training in 2027. Volunteer fire departments can apply online at incornandsoy.org/grain-bin-safety. Troy McCauley, Webster Township fire chief, encouraged departments without the equipment to contact the council for details on receiving it.