Caronport Fire and Rescue will be participating in grain rescue training for the first time this weekend.  

The group is a volunteer fire department with 32 currently active members, responding to fire and rescue situations from Boharm to Secretan.  

Matthew Nancarrow, deputy chief of Caronport Fire and Rescue, said the course will be a valuable addition to the group’s knowledge base. “The closest places that have this training that we’re aware of is Regina, Central Butte, [and] Davidson. When we get trained, we’ll actually be covering from Chaplin to Moose Jaw, possibly a little beyond.” 

He said the training will allow them to respond to situations where people are trapped in grain, whether that be in a bin, pile, or during transport. “When you get a third submerged in grain, you actually cannot get yourself back out, and you can be sucked under and suffocate. This training will give us the [skills] to be able to get somebody out of these scenarios.” 

Nancarrow added that it’s particularly important due to the rural agricultural area. “There’s a lot of farmers, a lot of grain that’s being moved, a lot of large storage facilities in the area. We saw the need that there was nobody in the area that actually had the equipment or the training to be able to perform this rescue.” 

After the training takes place, a call to a 911 dispatcher for someone stuck in grain in the area could lead to Caronport Fire and Rescue responding. In case of a call in Moose Jaw, they would assist the Moose Jaw Fire Department. “We would be there to help support them to get the people out. They would still be there helping with us, but we would be there to supplement them, to help them with this rescue training.” 

Training and equipment costs for Caronport Fire to address grain entrapment have come from G3, Simpson Seeds and Simpson Farms, Viterra, Cargill, Parrish & Heimbecker, and Ag West Service. 

The training, which is being conducted by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, will take place this Saturday, April 20.