Indiana Corn Marketing Council equips nine fire departments after 196 responders trained
The farmer-funded initiative has completed 42 training sessions since its launch, with three confirmed rescues attributed to the provided gear.
By Lily Carter ·
Rural firefighting units across Indiana are gaining specialized capability to handle grain bin entrapments, a hazard that claimed five lives in the state last year. The Indiana Corn Marketing Council, a farmer-led body, funded a training and equipment program that served 196 firefighters and first responders in 2026. The council also distributed rescue tubes to nine volunteer departments that applied for grants.
Since the program began, responders have used the council-provided equipment to save three lives. Those rescues occurred in Jackson, Putnam, and Shelby counties, according to board members. Mat Berger, a board member and farmer from Fountain City, attended a training session in Webster last week. He noted that the council hopes the gear remains unused, but acknowledged the value of having trained personnel ready for an emergency.
The initiative is now in its fifth year. It has held 42 training sessions across the state. The council partners with insurance provider Nationwide and the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety to supply tubes and conduct instruction. Farm Credit Mid-America has provided additional funding for many of these sessions. The program has trained a total of 1,221 Indiana firefighters and first responders in 36 counties.
The nine departments that received equipment this year include Benton County Emergency Management Agency, Bowling Green Volunteer Fire Department, Center Township Fire Department, Elizabeth Volunteer Fire Department, Liberty Township Fire Department, Mexico Community Fire Association, Roachdale Volunteer Fire Department, Skelton Owen Fire Department, and Webster Township Volunteer Fire Department. Troy McCauley, the Webster Township fire chief, said every second counts in these emergencies. He urged other departments without the gear to contact the council.
A Purdue University report published in July counted 21 grain bin entrapments nationwide in 2025. That number was 38 percent lower than in 2024. Indiana and Minnesota each reported five incidents in 2025, the highest totals among all states. Susan Brocksmith, the council’s president and a farmer from Vincennes, described grain bin entrapments as a specific danger of farm work. She stated that a simple mistake can quickly become a crisis.
The council stated that many rural fire departments cannot afford the specialized equipment and training independently. The nine departments that received gear this year applied for grants through the council. The Indiana Corn Marketing Council, the Indiana Soybean Alliance, and Farm Credit Mid-America plan to continue offering equipment and training in 2027. Volunteer fire departments can apply for rescue tubes and instruction online at incornandsoy.org/grain-bin-safety.
Berger emphasized that the board has committed to continuing its support of the program. He said it is good to know the equipment is present and that rescuers on the scene know how to use it. The council represents thousands of Indiana farmers through its corn checkoff structure.
