Kudos to firefighters for grain bin rescue

We often don’t know what we need until we need it, and that’s likely the case for most people finding themselves in need of emergency assistance.
Until we need help, we don’t know what kind of help is available, and many who have needed help for fires, crashes or medical emergencies will attest to the quality firefighters and first responders we have in Rock County.
On Wednesday, June 28, Luverne and Hills firefighters were called to a grain bin accident at the Fick farm where two were trapped in avalanched corn and a third was trying to help them. (See the related story.)
In the moments that elapsed before the Luverne Fire Department arrived, they were focused on survival. What they didn’t know was that a trained force of emergency responders would swoop onto the scene knowing exactly what to do with exactly the right tools.
The Ficks are seasoned farmers accustomed to all sorts of hazardous farming situations. They knew the dangers of working in grain bins and thought they were acting responsibly.
But the corn didn’t care as it crashed in from the sides of the bin. That’s the thing about farming. It’s as unpredictable as the markets and the weather that dictates who succeeds and who fails.
What is predicable, though, is the life-saving skill of our local firefighters who train for disasters that can — and have— taken lives in the past. They’ve learned from close calls and tragic endings.
And they’ve rehearsed on countless Monday nights for untold hours for worst-case scenarios like the one on June 28.
They’ve thrown their Rescue Randy dummy into flowing grain and rescued him. Over and over.
So when they showed up at 1159 101st St. at 2:34 p.m. on June 28, things got heated but their heads were cool.
And the outcome was positive. Three men were in the bin. Three came out. No one was hurt.
Many of us will never need emergency responders to come to our rescue, a blessing for which we should be thankful.
But those of us who have needed local help — in a fire, crash or medical emergency — can attest to the fact that we are blessed with the best.
Kudos to the Luverne Fire Department and the Hills firefighters who assisted for the successful grain bin rescue last week. Thank you for your hours of training and for being ready when you were needed.