62 Fire Departments Gain Life-Saving Rescue Tools

Des Moines, IA – When grain bin entrapments happen, seconds matter. On back-to-back days this summer, emergency calls in Illinois and Minnesota turned into life-or-death moments for trapped farmers – both ending in successful rescues. The outcomes were made possible in part by the specialized tools and training provided through Nationwide’s Grain Bin Safety program, along with support from local sponsors who helped bring these life-saving resources to their communities.

After receiving more than 750 nominations in the 2025 Nominate Your Fire Department Contest, an annual component of Nationwide’s Grain Bin Safety efforts, the insurance carrier and its partners announced that they awarded grain rescue tubes and hands-on training to the following 62 fire departments across rural America in 2025.

1. Adamsburg Volunteer Fire Company - Adamsburg, PA
2. Baltimore County Fire Station - Parkton, MD
3. Boalsburg Fire Company - Boalsburg, PA
4. Boardman Oregon Fire Rescue District - Boardman, OR
5. Bono Fire Protection District - Bono, AR
6. Breeding Area Volunteer Fire Department - Breeding, KY
7. Camp Dick Fire & Rescue - Lancaster, KY
8. Canby Fire Rescue - Canby, MN
9. Cass-Clinton Volunteer Fire Department - Wanatah, IN
10. Clearwater Fire Department - Clearwater, KS
11. Columbia County Fire District 3 - Dayton, WA
12. Coulterville Fire - Coulterville, IL
13. East Prairie Fire Department - East Prairie, MO
14. Eaton Fire Protection District - Eaton, CO
15. Edgewood Fire Department - Anderson, IN
16. Elkville Fire Department - Elkville, IL
17. Fairland Volunteer Fire Department - Fairland, IN
18. Felton Community Fire Company - Felton, DE
19. Fire Department Mount Joy - Mount Joy, PA
20. Fischer Rescue Squad - Fort Payne, AL
21. Forreston Fire Protection District - Forreston, IL
22. Frankford Volunteer Fire Company - Frankford, DE
23. Genesee Fire Department - Genesee, ID
24. Harmony Volunteer Fire Department - Olin Station - Olin, NC
25. Hazleton White River Fire Territory - Hazleton, IN
26. Henry Volunteer Fire Department - Henry, SD
27. Holly Volunteer Fire Department - Holly, CO
28. Howard Volunteer Fire Department - Avoca, NY
29. Hudson Fire Department - Hudson, IL
30. Hugo Fire Protection District - Hugo, CO
31. Kennedyville Volunteer Fire Department - Kennedyville, MD
32. Kenova Volunteer Fire Department - Kenova, WV
33. Kent Fire Company - Madison, IN
34. La Junta Fire Department - La Junta, CO
35. Lehr Fire District - Lehr, ND
36. Manchester Volunteer Fire Company - Manchester, MD
37. Martinsburg Area Fire Protection District - Martinsburg, MO
38. Midway Fire Protection District - Stark City, MO
39. Millstadt Union Fire Department - Millstadt, IL
40. Minneota Fire Department - Minneota, MN
41. Montgomery Fire Department - Montgomery, MI
42. Montgomery County Special Operations - Gaithersburg, MD
43. Montgomery Fire Protection District - Montgomery City, MO
44. Morgantown Rural Fire Department - Morgantown, IN
45. Nemaha Rural Fire Department - Nemaha, NE
46. New Plymouth Fire Protection District - New Plymouth, ID
47. North Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department - North Fairfield, OH
48. Queen Anne-Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Company - Queen Anne, MD
49. Radcliffe Fire Department - Radcliffe, IA
50. Ritzville Fire Department - Ritzville, WA
51. Rosalie Rescue Squad - Pisgah, AL
52. St. John Volunteer Fire Department - St John, WA
53. Stella Rural Fire Protection District Station 3 - Stella, MO
54. Story City/Lafayette Township Fire Department - Story City, IA
55. Transfer Volunteer Fire Department - Greenville, PA
56. Troy Mills Fire Department - Troy Mills, IA
57. Upland Rural Fire Department - Upland, NE
58. Valley Township Fire Department - Danville, PA
59. Vigilant Hose Company - Emmitsburg, MD
60. Volunteer Hose Company of Middletown - Middletown, DE
61. Woodland Township Fire Department - Woodland, MI
62. York Springs Fire Company - York Springs, PA

NECAS also provided re-training for the following 10 fire departments: 

1. Axtell Volunteer Fire & Rescue - Axtell, NE
2. Carthage Fire Department - Carthage, MO
3. Clear Spring Volunteer Fire Company - Clear Spring, MD – re-training scheduled for 2026
4. Golden City Volunteer Fire Department - Golden City, MO
5. Granger Fire Department - Granger, IA
6. Missouri Soybean Association Event - Columbia, MO
7. Polo Fire Protection District - Polo, IL
8. Seaford Volunteer Fire Department - Seaford, DE
9. Toledo Fire Protection District - Toledo, IL
10. Washington County Fire Department - Hoyleton, IL 

In partnership with the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), Nationwide and its partners have now supplied grain rescue equipment and training to 452 first responders across 35 states, eclipsing over $2 million in resources provided, to help prepare them when local grain entrapments occur.

“With two rescues this summer, six in 2024, and a total of 15 lives saved since the program began in 2014, Nationwide’s Grain Bin Safety program continues to make a powerful and lasting impact in communities across the country,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “We’re grateful to the firefighters and community partners who have turned training and equipment into saved lives — proof that these resources truly make a difference.”

NECAS delivered grain rescue tubes and training to 62 fire departments and provided re-training to 10 others in 2025, traveling to each site with state-of-the-art grain entrapment simulators. The comprehensive training sessions included classroom education and rescue simulations using the entrapment tools, which are loaded onto 20-foot trailers and able to hold about 100 bushels of grain each. 

Nationwide continues to work with partners throughout the year to provide additional grain rescue tubes and training sessions to fire departments in need. To learn how to get involved or sponsor a rescue tube for your local fire department, visit the Partner With Us webpage.

The program is supported by Nationwide, NECAS and the following generous partners:

1. KC Supply, NECAS, Nationwide Agribusiness, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Horizon Farm Credit, Maryland Grain Producers, Farm Credit of Southern Colorado, Specialty Risk Insurance, Lutz Agency, Inc, Missouri Soybean Association, Maryland Soybean Board, Delaware Soybean Board, CHS, Farm Credit Mid-America, Northwest Grain Growers, ProValue Insurance, Delaware Farm Bureau, Ohio Farm Bureau, New York Farm Bureau, Maryland Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Westside Salvage, Gregerson Salvage, GROWMARK, Pledge Insurance Advisors, Terminal Solutions, Agfinity, Panichelle Insurance, Ritzville Warehouse, Morrow County Grain Growers, Pacific Northwest Farmers Cooperative, Nebraska Soybean Board, Nebraska Corn Board, Valley View Agri-Systems, Gallagher, TrueNorth Companies, Farm Credit of Illinois, Sump Saver, NOHR Wortmann Engineering, IRMI, Central Valley Ag (CVA), Grain Weevil

About Nationwide

Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified financial services and insurance organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by Standard & Poor’s. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; and pet, motorcycle and boat insurance.

For more information about Nationwide and Nationwide’s ratings, visit www.nationwide.com or Company Ratings -- Nationwide.