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OREGON, Ill. — The Ogle County Farm Bureau Young Leaders through financial support from COUNTRY Financial recently donated grain bin rescue augers to three area fire departments serving Ogle and Lee counties.
Augers were purchased by COUNTRY Financial and distributed to the Byron, Rochelle and rural Dixon fire departments.
The augers are used in conjunction with grain bin rescue tubes in extracting individuals trapped in collapsed grain inside of grain bins. The rescue augers allow first responders to extricate grain more rapidly saving vital minutes in life-saving situations.
“This effort is one that COUNTRY Financial has dedicated itself to over decades providing necessary equipment to local communities to assist them in emergency response situations. As someone who lost a family member in a grain bin accident, I’m glad to see that this donation may save other families from that tragedy. We’re proud to be a part of this effort to support and serve the communities that we serve,” said COUNTRY Financial Agency Manager Phil Hasz.
The three fire districts were chosen as they were to only ones serving Ogle County that did not currently have a rescue auger on-site.
“This was an activity our entire committee was committed to, to assist our first responders in saving lives on the farm. Each year, we tragically lose farmers to grain bin entrapment accidents and hopefully by having this equipment available our local fire districts can prevent fatalities from occurring,” said Ryan Reeverts, Ogle County Farm Bureau Young Leaders chairman.
COUNTRY Financial is a group of U.S. insurance and financial services companies with customers in 19 states. The group of companies offers a range of insurance and financial products and services, including auto, home, life, farm, commercial insurance, retirement planning, investment management and trust services, with offices in communities across Illinois.
The Ogle County Farm Bureau Young Leaders are Farm Bureau members between the ages of 18 and 34 with an invested interest in agriculture and community service.