In light of National Grain Bin Safety Week, an initiative held during the third full week of February to help raise awareness about safety practices working around grain bins, the Lynd Fire Department was able to obtain a 7×16 rescue trailer this winter that will help to store equipment to save crucial time if called to a grain bin accident.

“[We appreciate] the time that it will save us. This way, we have everything in one spot and this way, we can hook up to the trailer and go,” Lynd fire chief Dillon Schultz said. “The time capacity alone it will save us to get on scene to start helping, that in itself is huge when seconds matter … In order to save that time is critical in situations like that.”

Grain bin safety is a top priority for those working in agriculture, as well as for first responders in being prepared to help in the case of accidents.

According to West Side Salvage, an Iowa-based emergency service and disaster recovery company, with data from a Purdue University study, there have been sharp increases in recent years in annual grain bin entrapment incidents, noting a 44.8% jump from 2021 to 2022 with 29 accidents up to 42.

Photo by Samantha Davis: The Lynd Fire Department recently recieved a grain bin rescue trailer that will store necessary equipment in the event of an accident.

Also according to the study, there have been 315 reported entrapment incidents from 2014 through 2023, with over half being fatal in 161 cases.

In the 2024 Purdue University study of agricultural confined injuries, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and Nebraska have historically recorded the most grain entrapment cases.

“Grain bins are a great thing, but they can also be very dangerous. It’s nice to know that you got support from the county in case of those emergencies, and it’s nice to have our equipment to get that rolling out the door while other departments are on the way,” Schultz said of receiving the rescue trailer.

The trailer will specifically help hold rescue equipment such as grain tubes, grain auger, ropes, shovels, lighting and other personally protective equipment (PPE).

“It’s an all call … You need manpower, and it ends up being county wide,” Jason Algyer of the Lynd Fire Department said about grain bin accidents. “In Lyon County, we’ve got a lot of great resources and a lot of good leaders. We can pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey, what do you got here? What can you share with us? What do you want to do?'”

Photo by Samantha Davis: The front of the Lynd Fire Department's new rescue grain bin trailer showcases community support that made the project possible.

The process of getting the trailer signified even more than upping the department’s preparation. It also was the result of the community showing support for a small-operating fire department, who Schultz and Algyer thoroughly emphasized their gratitude to on behalf of the entire department.

“When I first joined the department back in 2013, we had roughly 10 people on the department. It was a struggle, like any small town, it struggles to get members to join the fire department,” Schultz said. “Through the years, we’ve increased that number to 18 … Even though we got room for more, it’s a good feeling to have at least 18 members. That pager goes off, you drop everything, and we get a really good response showing up.”

Schultz and Algyer said the department has been looking for a rescue trailer for about two years, but it was a matter of securing funding for it. Justin Guggisberg, the Mayor of Lynd and formerly on the department, started the process of looking at trailers when Algyer joined the department in September last year, and had since been working on the funding to secure the project.

“We had overwhelming support … [Everyone] grants back farmer safety. I’m proud of everybody. It’s a regional and a local situation, and they provided funding,” Algyer said. “We’re moving definitely 100% in the right direction.”

The department secured the trailer through the generosity of donations from local businesses including First Independent Bank, Redwood River Rental, RDO Equipment, AG Country Farm Credit Services, Lyon County Corn and Soy Bean Producers, Schwartz Farms, Pipestone Systems, Northwest Farm Management, Action Companies and Kibble Equipment along with individual efforts.

Photo by Samantha Davis: The Lynd Fire Department recently recieved a grain bin rescue trailer that will store necessary equipment in the event of an accident.

“It’s been a really good feeling, being able to get this support from businesses and the community, to see what we are trying to do,” Schultz said. “The best case scenario, that trailer never moves, because that means nobody is stuck in a grain bin. That means nobody is in dire need of immediate help. But if that ever happens, we can hook everything up and go, instead of trying to gather everything then go.”

“Noticing the community support, whether you’re at the fish fry or the burger burn, people circle around this department, and that impresses me a lot. Very much so,” Algyer added.

Schultz also said the community has shown great support at the department’s two annual fundraisers – A fish fry at the school on Good Friday, and a newer tradition of a burger burn on the last Monday in July where they grill food and bring in inflatables for kids.

“I constantly think back to where we were 10 years ago, five years ago, and see where we have come in the last several years. The addition to the fire hall [in 2016], that was huge. Getting all of our trucks under one roof, that was huge,” Schultz said. “The guys that we sent through training the last several years to get them certified, the guys that have stepped up through the years that have been fairly new to the department [have been great].”

Schultz has been the fire chief in Lynd since 2022 but has been with the department for over a decade. Algyer joined Lynd last September, but has also been in the fire service for several years, along with formerly working as an aircraft maintenance crew chief for an airline based in Dallas.

The two said the department is continuing to look for upgraded equipment such as ropes, victim stokes baskets, and plywood, but Schultz said the department has made significant improvement over the past year.

While the community continues to show support for the life-saving efforts of local first responders, the driving force behind those working in the field is often a desire to serve and protect their own neighbors.

“You need to come in with the attitude of helping people. When that pager goes off, odds are they’re having the worst day of their entire life. We need to be there to help them, assist them, not make things worse. That’s the attitude you got to come into a volunteer department with, and to acknowledge that,” Schultz said. “Even if it’s not our call, if we get a mutual aid call, we have guys that show up that are willing to suit up and jump on trucks to go help … One of the first things I ask [people] is, ‘Why do you want to join?’ And, It’s always to help the community and to give back.”