Freistatt Fire Department receives life-saving grain rescue tools, training

Nationwide has announced 67 winners of its annual Grain Bin Safety Week and Nominate Your Fire Department campaign.

The Friestatt Fire Department in Friestatt, Missouri was selected as a recipient in this year's campaign. Freistatt received a specialized grain rescue tool and hands-on training, with funding provided by Specialty Risk.

Each winning fire department received a grain rescue tube and specialized training, delivered between the Spring and Fall this year.

The danger inside a grain bin is not always visible – and when hidden hazards give way, entrapment can happen in seconds. Flowing grain can pull a person under, or a crusted or bridged surface can collapse without warning and bury the occupant.

These risks have resulted in more than 150 reported grain entrapments over the past five years. Local fire departments are often the first and only line of defense, but a successful rescue depends on having the right equipment and training before the emergency call comes.

Since beginning its Grain Bin Safety advocacy program and Nominate Your Fire Department Contest in 2014, Nationwide has partnered with like-minded organizations to equip fire departments across the country to respond to grain entrapments with specialized tools, coordinated training and practical rescue skills.

In 2026, Nationwide's Grain Bin Safety program delivered grain rescue tubes and hands-on training to 67 fire departments to help prepare them to respond when an entrapment occurs in their community.

Nationwide partners with the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) to deliver the grain rescue tubes and training, traveling to each fire department with state-of-the-art grain entrapment simulators. The comprehensive training sessions include classroom education and rescue simulations using the entrapment tools.

"Every grain rescue tube helps make a community safer and better prepared to respond when the unthinkable happens," said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. "Our goal is always prevention, but when a grain entrapment occurs, having trained and equipped first responders can make all the difference. We're grateful for the fire departments and partners working every day to help protect farmers and save lives."

Nationwide's program has now supplied grain rescue equipment and training to 519 fire departments across 35 states, providing nearly $2.5 million in resources. These resources have contributed to at least 19 lives saved since Nationwide's program began in 2014.

To learn how to get involved or sponsor a rescue tube for your local fire department, visit the Partner With Us webpage.