Purdue offers training in grain storage rescues

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - First responders, farmers and grain elevator employees can receive training that could help save a life should someone become trapped in a grain storage structure.

Purdue University's Agricultural Safety & Health Program will offer the Grain Storage Rescue Training class at four Indiana sites in July.

"This class will provide fire, rescue and emergency medical services personnel; grain elevator employees; and farm operators with a better understanding of strategies for preventing and responding to grain-related entrapments, including partial and full engulfments," said class instructor Steve Wettschurack, a certified farm accident rescue instructor at Purdue.

Wettschurack has been involved with the fire and emergency medical services for over 25 years and instructed in more than 60 grain storage rescue training courses in Indiana and surrounding states. The courses have involved more than 2,100 first responders over the past three years.

Wettschurack said the class will be most beneficial to those with limited agricultural or grain handling experience. It will cover the primary causes of grain-related entrapments, grain storage design and operation, the latest rescue strategies, and first-responder injury prevention.

There will be demonstrations along with participation from people in the class.

Dates, times and locations of the classes:

* July 19: Gibson County Fairgrounds, 709 N. Embree St., Princeton.

* July 22: ADM Agricultural Innovation Center, Purdue University, 694 S. Russell St., West Lafayette.

* July 26:  Purdue North/East Farm (NEPAC), 4821 E 400 South, Columbia City.

* July 31: ADM Agricultural Innovation Center, Purdue.

Registration in advance is required. A fee of $65 per person includes lunch. To register, contact Wettshurack by email at swettsch@purdue.edu or by telephone at 765-496-2377, or William Field at 765-494-1191, field@purdue.edu. All checks need to be made out to Purdue University. No credit cards or cash will be accepted.

In the last 50 years, there have been more than 140 cases of farm operators, farm workers and their family members getting entrapped and engulfed in grain storage structures in Indiana alone.

Source: Purdue University