Tag Archive for: #thepegramagency

Oxford Fire Dept. Has New Specialized Rescue Equipment For Use In Grain Bins

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The Oxford Fire Department is one of only two departments in the state to receive a specialized piece of equipment to assist with grain bin rescues.

Thanks to a partnership with the local Pegram Agency, Nationwide Insurance and the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, the Oxford fire department now has the equipment should a situation arise that a person is trapped in a grain bin.

The equipment is basically a rescue tube and NECAS also provides training to make sure fire departments know how to use it properly. NECAS representatives traveled to each location with state-of-the-art grain entrapment simulators. The comprehensive training sessions included classroom education and rescue simulations using the entrapment tools, which are loaded onto 20-foot trailers and able to hold about 100 bushels of grain each.

Rural communities continue to face hazards associated with working in and around grain structures. In 2022 alone, there were at least 42 grain entrapments – the highest number in more than a decade – resulting in 15 fatalities. To help prevent tragic accidents and deaths, Nationwide and its partners are providing life-saving grain rescue tubes and training to 60 fire departments across rural America through its 2023 Grain Bin Safety campaign.

Since beginning the Grain Bin Safety campaign in 2014, at least seven fire departments have utilized their rescue tubes and training to successfully rescue entrapped individuals, including a man in Ohio who was trapped up to his armpits back in a March 2023 incident.

“With entrapments and accidents on the rise, it’s as important as ever to be following proper safety precautions before entering a bin,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “

 

Through collaboration with NECAS, Nationwide and its partners have now supplied grain rescue equipment and training to 332 first responders across 32 states to help prepare them when local grain entrapments occur.

“Grain bin accidents continue to be a critical issue facing the agriculture industry,” said Liggett. “We are proud to have supplied these important resources to 60 more rural fire departments in partnership with the many sponsors involved in our grain bin safety efforts. Thank you to the first responders who play such an important role in supporting the agriculture community.”

Nationwide is continuing to work with partners throughout the year to provide additional grain rescue tubes and training sessions to fire departments in need. To learn how to get involved or sponsor a rescue tube for your local fire department, visit the Partner With Us webpage.

Local Insurance Agent Donates Equipment To Oxford Fire Department

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-information courtesy of the City of Oxford, from its ‘Discover Oxford’ newsletter

By its very nature, insurance is protection that we pay for and hope we never need to use. Whether it’s home, health, auto or some other type, having insurance is essential.

One local insurance agent, Ray Pegram Jr. of Henderson, has donated a piece of life-saving equipment to the Oxford Fire Department. It’s a different type of insurance, and it’s something OFD Fire Chief David Cottrell hopes they don’t have to use.

Called The Great Wall of Rescue, this particular piece of equipment helps remove individuals who are trapped in grain bins.

It’s the first donation of its kind in North Carolina through a program sponsored by Nationwide Insurance. The Pegram Agency has offices in Henderson and Oxford.

Pegram said he worked on his uncle’s farm in Middleburg as a youngster, which instilled in him a deep respect for farmers. Farming involves risks, especially when working in silos.

“I hope they never have to use this equipment, but if they do, they’ll have it when it’s needed,” Pegram said. “It hits close to home for me.”

Cottrell expressed his appreciation for the donation and explained that grain entrapment rescue scenarios can quickly escalate, putting victims in grave danger. “If a 165-pound person sinks into the grain up to their waist, the pressure can be equivalent to 365 pounds. If the grain reaches their chest, the pressure can be equivalent to 600 pounds, making it almost impossible to lift,” Cottrell said. ‘The Great Wall of Rescue allows us to respond more efficiently and provides a vital support system for our rescuers, ensuring a quicker and safer extraction of individuals trapped in grain.”

The apparatus consists of lightweight panels that can be lowered into the grain bin and then configured in various shapes around the trapped individual. Nationwide has documented eight lives saved in the past few years, thanks to this equipment.

The arrival of the equipment underscores OFD’s commitment to improving rescue operations and ensuring the safety of their community members.

Learn more about this life-saving equipment at https://www.greatwallofrescue.com/.

 

Rebuilding Hope Receives Donation from The Pegram Agency

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-Information courtesy Rebuilding Hope, Inc. 

The Pegram Agency has donated $550 to Rebuilding Hope as part of its Community Cause Program. In a statement, the agency said the donation was made because RHI is “an organization we’re all familiar with in our church families and the community.”

“We also are in the business of helping people when they have catastrophic things happen in their lives,” the statement continued. “That’s what Rebuilding Hope does as well.”

“Community partners are so important to the RHI ministry,” said RHI coordinator Randolph Wilson. “The Pegram Agency’s donation will help us to serve better and to serve more.”

The insurance firm has offices locally in Henderson and Oxford.

Ray Pegram of The Pegram Agency (left) presents a $550 donation to RHI coordinator Randolph Wilson (right). The donation is part of the agency’s Community Cause Program. (Pegram Agency photo)