Mine rescue volunteers from Tahoe Resources’ Timmins West & Bell Creek Mines earned gold hard hats as the overall winners of the 69th annual provincial competition in Matachewan, near Kirkland Lake.
Sudbury's mine rescue teams also had a strong showing at the 2018 Ontario Mine Rescue Competition, taking home multiple awards.
Vale Canada’s East Mines team was the overall runner-up in the seven-team competition, while taking home first place in both the team firefighting and team first aid categories.
During the week’s event, seven teams from across Ontario, selected in district competitions, and one team from Ireland were evaluated on their knowledge, firefighting skills, first aid response, use of emergency equipment and decision-making ability under stress in underground simulated emergencies at Alamos Gold’s Young-Davidson Mine.
During the two-day event, teams responded to a series of emergency scenarios, including building a barricade and using high expansion foam to extinguish a mine fire, and using rope rescue rigging to assist an injured and unconscious miner approximately 80 feet down a mine shaft.
Mine rescue competitions, which started in 1950, ensure that mine rescue volunteers across the province are trained to the same high standards.
