The Chandlerville Fire Department recently received a private donation of a piece of tactical equipment that they’ve been seeking since the Fall.
The Chandlerville Fire Department received a rescue grant from the Cass-Morgan Farm Bureau last Fall to help the department assemble various tools and equipment for tactical rescues in grain bin and agricultural emergencies.
Yesterday, the Sandidge Family Farms donated a $1,200 Turtle Plastics rescue tube to the department. Courtney Sandidge says they heard about the need from a family friend who works for the fire department: “A friend of ours who is on the fire department told us about how they were working on getting a grant and that it would get some of the equipment but they still needed the tube. Since we farm and there is need for it in the area, we thought we should just go ahead and donate the tube to them, so that way if we ever need it in the future, they would have it.”
Sandidge says that she and her husband farm mainly corn and soybeans on 6,000 acres in Cass County. Sandidge says that Rihanna Dennis pointed them toward the exact tube the department needed to a website for its purchase, so that they could ensure that neighbors and their own farm would be able to be protected in a grain bin emergency: “We are all just kind of a community wanting to help each other. If the tube can help save a neighbor, a friend, or someone we don’t know; it was well worth the money.”
Chandlerville fire officials say they are hopeful that they never have to have the sleeve in an emergency, but they are extremely glad and grateful for the donation of an invaluable tool.