The Chickasaw County Rescue Squad got to experience firsthand what it’s like to be swallowed by grain, and how to rescue people who find themselves in that emergency.
    Training Officer Jeff Kuehn set up the training exercise on May 10 through Professional Rescue Innovators out of Fort Dodge. The company oversees these types of training exercises throughout the state and arranged for Iowa Fire Training Bureau out of Ames to come to New Hampton to conduct the training for squad members.
    Chickasaw Emergency Management Director Ken Rasing said 14 members of the rescue squad participated in the grain bin rescue exercise.
    “It went very well, and we identified some equipment needs,” Rasing said. “We learned that we need more milk crates and plywood.”
    During the training, each member was placed into a large container filled with 100 bushels of grain so they could experience what it is like to be sucked into the corn. The “victim” first had to try and get themselves out of the situation. Then other members of the squad had to use milk crates, plywood and scoops to rescue each person.
    “If you get waist deep, you can not get the guy out. You just can’t pull them up because it will pull their vertebre apart. You have to dig them out,” Rasing said.
    Rasing said if someone were trapped in a grain bin, milk jugs can be dropped to the person and they can use them to hold themselves up until they can be rescued.