By Bridget Flynn
The Pantagraph
NORMAL, Ill. — The Normal Fire Department was instrumental in the rescue of a man who had a medical emergency while on a grain bin, said Normal Fire Capt. Ed Collins.
The department was called at 2:13 p.m. Saturday to a grain bin at 14971 East 625 North Road. Bloomington Fire Department paramedics and Heyworth Fire Department also responded.
The bin is owned by Randolph Ag Services Inc., Collins said. The man was having an undisclosed “major medical emergency” about 60 feet above on a grain bin, Collins said.
The Normal Fire Department sent its special technical rescue team with a ladder truck, which has a 100-feet aerial ladder, and a squad truck with equipment. Once on scene, the team placed the man in a basket and lowered him.
Once he was on the ground, Bloomington paramedics assisted him and placed him in a Heyworth ambulance, which took him to BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Normal.
The rescue took about 20 minutes, Collins said.
The Normal Fire Department is the designated technical rescue team for the county, Collins said. The department has received “an extraordinary amount of training” in vertical rescue and several other areas, he said.
Copyright 2009 The Pantagraph