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College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

CFAES

First Grain Bin Rescue Tube for Public Use Donated to Farm Science Review

September 20, 2010

LONDON, Ohio – Rescue tubes are a necessary piece of emergency equipment when rescuing someone in an on-farm grain bin accident. The first grain rescue tube developed for public use 28 years ago will be donated to Farm Science Review during a special ceremony on Sept. 21 during the show.

 

The ceremony will take place at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday prior to a grain bin rescue demonstration at the Safety Education Area along Friday Avenue of the exhibitor grounds. Media and Farm Science Review attendees are invited to attend the event.

Farm Science Review will be held Sept. 21-23 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio.

The cylindrical tube, made up of three curved aluminum sections that link together, was designed and developed by the Wood County-based Otsego FFA Chapter under the direction of Bernard Scott, now a retired agricultural education teacher. The grain rescue tube was part of an FFA “Building Our American Communities project, and was given to the Wood County Sheriffs Department to be transported to any grain bin entrapment.

“The idea for the project came in 1981 from Richard Farison, Wood County agriculture (Extension) agent, who at the time conducted farm accident rescue sessions at the annual Northwest Ohio Volunteer Firefighter School at Bowling Green State University each March,said Scott. “After conferring with Tom Wagner, safety director of The Andersons in Maumee, who had designed and constructed one for in-house grain rescue only, the FFA chapter embarked on constructing the first one for public use

The aluminum grain rescue tube was revolutionary in that it was large enough to easily fit in a 22-by-22-inch grain bin opening, yet was 170 pounds lighter than its steel counterparts. This made the device portable for on-farm use.

Once its placed around the entrapped victim, the grain rescue tube alleviates pressure from grain or other flowing material and prevents the victim from being engulfed.

This grain rescue tube has been retired for many years, because of newer, improved models. The newer four-piece versions of the device are now a part of all on-farm grain bin rescue operations, as well as other entrapment situations, and are used as a training tool for emergency and fire rescue personnel.

Daily Farm Science Review grain bin rescue programs will demonstrate how the grain bin rescue tubes are used. The demos take place every hour on the half-hour from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at the Safety Education Area on Friday Avenue and Land Avenue of the exhibitor grounds.

The original grain rescue tube will be displayed in the William L. George antique farm building on the corner of Friday Avenue and Hay Street at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio.

Members of the Otsego FFA chapter will participate in the donation ceremony.

Farm Science Review is sponsored by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. It attracts upwards of 140,000 visitors from all over the country and Canada, who come for three days to peruse 4,000 product lines from 600 commercial exhibitors, and learn the latest in agricultural research, conservation, family and nutrition, and gardening and landscape.

Farm Science Review pre-show tickets are now on sale for $5 at all OSU Extension county offices. Tickets will also be available at local agribusinesses. Tickets are $8 at the gate. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 21-22 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 23.

For more information, log on to http://fsr.osu.edu. For the latest news and updates, follow Farm Science Review on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/OhioStateFSR), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/FarmScienceReview), and Ning (http://fsrosu.ning.com).

Author(s): 
Candace Pollock
Source(s): 
Bernie Scott