Mine rescue teams rise to the challenge – by Len Gillis (Timmins Daily Press – May 11, 2018)

http://www.timminspress.com/

TIMMINS – Cloaked in darkness, with blinking miner’s lamps, the scratchy squawk of two-way radios, the cries of injured miners and the puffy sound of air whistles is just part of drama being played out at the Archie Dillon Sportsplex this week.

Seven mine rescue teams from both the Timmins and Kirkland Lake Districts are each taking their turn in sorting out a mock disaster designed to test their skills as rescuers and first-aiders in a complex underground setting.

The Sportsplex arena floor is mapped out into different zones representing different levels of a mine where the emergency has occurred. Each team is given time to get briefed on the scenario, gather their emergency equipment, give it a field test and then proceed to the source of the emergency.

They must be prepared for any sort of underground problem such as miners missing or trapped, fire, poison gases, cave-ins, and electrical hazards. It could take three to four hours before the scenario is confronted and resolved by each team of rescuers.

While spectators can watch the scenario being played out, the media cannot reveal the details until all the teams have had their chance to tackle the problem in their own way.

Teams of judges watch their every move and listen in as the rescuers make their decisions. Rescuers are judged on how well they use their equipment, whether it was right equipment and whether the rescue was effective.

For the rest of this article: http://www.timminspress.com/2018/05/10/mine-rescue-teams-rise-to-the-challenge