Louisiana Farm Bureau and LFETA Compile List of All Grain Bin Rescue Tubes in the State

By Avery J. Davidson

Louisiana Farm Bureau News

Louisiana Farm Bureau and the Louisiana Fire and Emergency Training Academy have compiled a list of all grain bin rescue tubes in the state and their locations.

There are currently 25 grain bin rescue tubes in the state. Seventeen are owned by fire departments. The remaining eight are owned by companies that operate grain elevators.

“This list is vital for all first responders to have,” said Louisiana Farm Bureau Safety Director Wendell Miley. “A person can become fully engulfed in flowing grain in a matter of seconds and it can be hours before first responders can get them out.”

Grain bin rescue tubes are specialized pieces of equipment used by first responders to help safely remove someone trapped by flowing grain inside a grain bin or other grain storage facility. The tubes consist of panels first responders build around the trapped victim. The tube can then be pushed down into the grain to create a barrier between the victim and the grain outside the tube. First responders can then remove the grain from inside the tube either with a portable auger or by having the victim scoop the grain out. Once enough grain is removed, the victim can be safely freed from the grain.

“We hope parish Farm Bureaus will see the places in the state where there is no grain bin rescue tube and help first responders purchase the necessary equipment,” Miley said.

According to Miley, a grain bin rescue tube can cost between $3,000 and $4,000. While grain bins can be found all over the state of Louisiana, there is not a grain bin rescue tube in every parish.

“What we found while compiling this list is that while Louisiana has 64 parishes, there are grain bin rescue tubes in only 18 of them,” Miley said. “That’s why it’s vital first responders know where to find the nearest grain bin rescue tube when someone is trapped in grain.”

The average time for first responders to rescue or recover someone from a grain entrapment is three hours, according to Miley. Death can happen in minutes if the victim is submerged in grain.

Louisiana Farm Bureau works with Mississippi Farm Bureau to host grain bin safety workshops for farmers and first responders. Those events are usually held in February at different farms across the state.

Download the list of grain bin rescue tubes here.