Gibbon Fire Department Purchases ‘First of Its Kind’ Rural Rescue Response Trailer

 A guest post by LMCIT Public Safety Specialist Troy Walsh

The Gibbon Fire Department (GFD) recently acquired a Rural Rescue Response Trailer, otherwise known as R3. This specialty trailer is designed for rescues in the agricultural industry, including grain bins. 

Minnesota historically is in the top three states with the most grain entrapment cases, behind Indiana and Iowa, according to a report published in April 2022. And with grain bin accidents increasing nearly 10% in recent years, the need for such equipment unfortunately persists. 

The R3 is a concept that became reality after the GFD conducted Minnesota’s only successful grain bin rescue in 2019, when the GFD, with the assistance of a neighboring farmer’s grain vac, rescued a local farmer who had become trapped.

The 2019 rescue emphasized the need for a specialized rescue trailer that could help not only Gibbon, but the entire region. The GFD is in the process of assembling a focused response team to specialize in operating the R3 and will hold training sessions for the entire department as well as the nine neighboring communities they serve under mutual aid agreements.

The GFD was aware of special grain vacs on the market, but there was nothing designed for emergency use with all the needs for a grain bin rescue. The department worked with agricultural partners to obtain funding for a concept trailer that includes a powered grain vac and grain bin rescue tools. The R3 has tools to help a rescue crew protect the victim as the crew works to move the grain away in hopes of freeing the trapped individual. This specific trailer is the first of its kind and may pave the way for other departments to get similar specialty equipment. 

Communities Come Together to Fund R3 Trailer

Due to the unique specialization of the R3 trailer, the GFD was unable to use any existing grant funding. They had to rely on community donations and their experience and ingenuity for the R3 trailer’s creation. From the start, the GFD described this as not a local resource, but rather one that would serve several communities through existing mutual aid agreements. This regional focus aided in generating donations from the communities. 

Farmers May Apply for State Funding to Install Safety Measures 

To prevent people from falling into or being trapped in grain bins or silos, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture offers a grant to Minnesota farmers for $400 per bin to install safety measures, including fall protection systems, engineering controls to prevent contact with an auger or other moving parts, and other grain storage facility safety equipment. The application period ends June 30. Read more about this grain storage facility cost-share program. 

More information on the R3 can be found on the Gibbon Fire and Rescue YouTube channel, or by calling firefighter Nate Firle at 320-979-4835.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at twalsh@lmc.org or (651) 281-1231. 

Remember:   Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay safe!

Troy