Nationwide, in partnership with the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) awarded 58 departments grain bin rescue equipment and training in 2022.

This year, three Southern Maryland departments were awarded training and equipment:
Leonardtown VFD
Bel Alton VFD
Mechanicsville VFD.

The equipment is all the same and interoperable, allowing the 3 departments to be able to easily expand their systems and provide aid to each other seamlessly. Each system contains 6 panels and one drill operated auger to rapidly remove the contents around the patient once the panels are in place.

The training began with a classroom session on how grain bins operate, common hazards, and response tactics.

Afterwards, department personnel were able to cycle thru a trailed grain bin response simulator.

This system allowed rescuers to set the panels and auger in place as we would on a real incident.

Thank you to all the organizations who made this, and all the awards nationally, possible.

Saint Marys County has approximately 114 grain storage facilities