Farm Bureau offers grain rescue grant

ORWELL, Ohio — Ashtabula and Trumbull County Farm Bureaus sponsored a grain bin rescue training and awareness program for emergency personnel and local farmers and businesses July 22.

Over 40 emergency personnel from Ashtabula, Trumbull, Columbiana and Mahoning County were in attendance for the grain bin rescue training taught by the Ohio Fire Academy (OFA).

Training

Participants took the six-hour OFA course to practice grain bin rescue techniques with the Grain C.A.R.T (Comprehensive Agricultural Rescue Trailer). Emergency personnel were educated on how grain bins are constructed, how they operate and the hazards associated with them.

The final portion of the course allowed firefighters to physically rescue one of their own from the C.A.R.T.

Ohio State University Extension taught the grain awareness training workshop to farmers and local agricultural businesses. Those participants also had the opportunity to view actual rescues taking place.

Grant

Mandy Orahood, Ohio Farm Bureau Organization Director, serving Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull counties announced a grant opportunity for Ashtabula and Trumbull County fire departments.

One rescue tube, valued between $3,000 to $5,000 will be awarded to a fire department in each county.

The grant is available to any fire department in Ashtabula and Trumbull Counties and is available now through Sept. 15.

Apply

Fire departments can apply with a name, mailing and email address, the name and address of the fire department or emergency rescue team, and one page describing how the local fire department or rescue team and rural community would benefit from the grain rescue tube, and how they plan to share the equipment with nearby departments.

Completed grants can be emailed to nefarmbu@fairpoint.net or mailed to: Ashtabula/Trumbull County Farm Bureau, 8220 state Route 45, Suite B, Orwell, OH 44076.

There is a limit of one grant entry per fire department. Grant entries in excess of the stated limit will be void.

For more information, call 440-437-8700.