PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. (KMTV) -- It's a difficult task to rescue someone out of a grain bin.
Fire departments across Cass County know the drill. Last August, 76-year-old Marvin Manske got trapped in a Louisville grain bin. Thanks to a grain rescue tube, first responders were able to save him.
"A lot of departments came together and shared equipment to get that accomplished," said Jon Hardy, a lieutenant at Plattsmouth Fire Department. "We decided to go after that equipment ourselves."
With grants and donations from the community, the department has received $15,000 of new rescue equipment, including a new cofferdam.
"They make us safer, and to learn how to get yourself out of trouble if you were to get yourself into it," Hardy said.
Hardy said the bottom line of the grain bin rescue training is safety.
Before fire departments got cofferdams, they had to use plywood and other materials to rescue people out of grain bins.
Members of area volunteer fire departments trained on how to use these cofferdams. The training helps first responders rescue in confined spaces, including grain elevators.
"We want be prepared the best we can for any scenario," said Tim Maloney, a volunteer at the Plattsmouth Fire Department.
The department said they hope to get a third cofferdam for the western part of Cass County.
