Farm Bureau Gives Life-Saving Equipment to Caddo Fire District

By Avery Davidson, Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation

GILLIAM -- Caddo Parish Fire District #7 now has specialized equipment to save the life of someone trapped inside a grain bin and soon first responders in Shreveport will have the same equipment. 

On August 24, the Caddo Parish Farm Bureau donated a grain bin rescue chute, an emergency auger and other equipment to the fire district. This equipment is specially designed to save the life of someone who fell victim to a flowing grain entrapment. That’s when grain is flowing from the bottom of a grain bin and a person standing on top becomes partially or completely engulfed.

District #7 Fire Chief Danny Richardson referred to that situation as high risk, low frequency. “Meaning that it would be a very serious call,” Richardson added, “where it would not happen real often.”

The average rescue time for someone trapped in a grain bin is 3.5 hours, according to the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety.

“Without having this piece of equipment,” Richardson said, it is almost impossible to get them out because of the pressure the corn puts on them. This is a very important piece of equipment.”

Just minutes after making the donation, the Caddo Parish Farm Bureau Board of Directors voted to buy another set of grain bin rescue equipment for firefighters in the southern part of the parish. Caddo Parish Farm Bureau President Cecil Oliver says each set of equipment costs about $3,300.

“We would not be able to afford this.” Richardson said, “We are a small fire district.”

“Hopefully it’s never used. But, if we need it, then they’ll have it available” Oliver said, “One of the mission of Farm Bureau is farm safety.”