Nominate your fire department to win a grain bin rescue tube
Rural fire fighters are often the first and only line of defense when someone becomes helplessly trapped in grain. Unfortunately, many fire departments lack the specialized rescue techniques and equipment necessary for a successful grain bin rescue.
In conjunction with Grain Bin Safety Week (third full week of February), Nationwide teams up with the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), KC Supply1 and others to award emergency first responders with grain rescue tubes and hands-on rescue training to help save lives.
What you can win
- One (1) grain rescue tube, valued between $3,000 to $5,000
- One (1) six-hour grain entrapment rescue training session, at winner’s location, valued at up to $5,000
Winners and prizes are made possible by the generosity of our partners. Learn how you can partner with us to help save lives.
The annual grain bin rescue tube contest begins January 1st of each year
The contest begins on January 1 at 8:00 a.m. CT and extends through April 30 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Only entries submitted during this time will be considered for the contest.
To enter, describe how your local fire department or emergency rescue team and community would benefit from grain entrapment training and a rescue tube, and how the tube and training could be shared with nearby departments. Please include:
- Your name
- Occupation
- Phone number
- Mailing address
- Email address
- Name, address and phone number of the fire department or rescue team nomination
Nominations are accepted from the general public as well as from fire fighters who wish to nominate their own fire department. Employees and agents of Nationwide are not eligible to submit nominations for the contest.
Submit your entry during the contest:
- Fill out an online form
- Via email: gbswinfo@nationwide.com
- Mail to: NECAS, Grain Bin Safety Week Contest, 8342 NICC Dr., Peosta, IA 52068
Limit one (1) entry per person, per email address and per household or department
Abbreviated rules
No purchase necessary. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Open to legal residents of the contiguous United States and the District of Columbia, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, who are at least 18 years of age at the time of entry. Void where prohibited. See Official Rules and prize descriptions.
Sponsor: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, 1100 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50391.
Contest history
Since 2014, the contest has received over 11,000 nominations and has awarded grain rescue tubes and hands-on rescue training to over 390 fire departments in over 32 states saving thirteen lives.
Dan Neenan, director of NECAS, travels with a state-of-the-art grain entrapment simulator and rescue tube to the winning locations to conduct the training session. Loaded on a 20-foot trailer and able to hold approximately 100 bushels of grain, the simulator is the perfect training ground1.
As part of 2020's event, Nationwide joined forces with Corteva Agriscience and hosted an event in Peosta, IA. Dan Neenan, director of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), conducted a live grain engulfment simulation and rescue demonstration. He submerged Marji Guyler-Alaniz, TV host and FarmHer® founder, in grain up to her waist — demonstrating for the audience how the tubes are used to extract someone who’s trapped in a grain bin. The event was live streamed on Facebook and received more than 782,000 views.
[1] Alternate training organizations utilizing similar training methods may be used.