Important grain rescue training for Leamington firefighters

By Mark Ribble

While Leamington fire personnel hope that they never need to put their new training into effect, they will now be prepared if a grain farm rescue is ever required within the municipality.

In a training session put on by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) — and hosted by the Douglas family at Cloverview Farms — firefighters were put through vigorous training specific to helping victims caught in grain bins or wagons on local farms on Saturday, June 18.

A special trailer designed for such training was pulled into Cloverview Farms on Road 10 by Russ Lloyd of Sarnia, who is the Master Trainer for the CASA in this district.

Lloyd put the local firefighters through the training in teams of three as they learned assembly of the rescue equipment, hazard identification, communication and the potential health effects on the victim.

Leamington Fire Services had received the cofferdam-style equipment — called a Res-Q-Tube — in August of 2020 and this training will help them understand the proper techniques to achieve a positive outcome.

Firefighters Jeff Vibert and Royce Beauchamp secure the back section of the Res-Q-Tube, while firefighter ‘victim’ Eric Wright is buried in corn up to his waist.

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About three years ago, the Leamington fire crew was faced with such a dilemma as a young lady visiting a local farm climbed atop a grain trailer full of corn and found herself being sucked down into the corn, up to her chest.

Firefighters arrived on scene and were able to call in Kingsville Fire, who already possessed the Res- Q-Tube. The resistance by the Leamington crew not to panic and keep the victim calm and oxygenated during the ordeal while awaiting Kingsville’s arrival, probably saved the young lady’s life.

Now, with their own equipment in hand, the time had come to get all of the proper training and knowledge in the event that another farm accident puts them in the same situation.

The Leamington firefighters were put through a pre-training classroom-style session prior to the hands-on training at the farm.

With the Res-Q-Tube in place, Vibert works the pencil auger while Beauchamp pulls excess corn away from the tube. Captain Shawn McKenzie, left, observes along with trainer Russ Lloyd from CASA.

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The training trailer is designed with a large bin of corn and rigged with pulleys, railings and other rescue equipment to ensure safety during the sessions.

The trainees step into the corn bin and a certain amount of corn is drained from the bottom, inducing the trainee to sink up to their waist and unable to free themselves.

The other two trainees were then instructed on how to assemble the Res- Q-Tube, which comes in four sections.

Royce Beauchamp takes his turn as the ‘victim’ as Jeff Vibert secures the Res-Q-Tube sections in place, with help from Eric Wright (hands in photo).

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Once the tube is in place, a pencil auger is then put into the tube to begin removing corn from around the victim, all the while communicating to make sure everything is fine within the tube.

“The key is to remain calm and make sure the victim remains calm,” said Lloyd, who talked to each trainee as the work was being done.

Once the equipment training was complete for each group, they were given a tour of Cloverview Farms’ grain bins to familiarize themselves with the inside of the bins. A grain trailer on site was also closely examined as officials explained the design of the trailers and effect of certain actions that would put the victim in danger.

It’s estimated that three or four people are killed in grain entrapment accidents on Canadian farms each year, with many other close calls that are not reported.