Fourth Annual Mine Rescue Competition Held at BSC

(Bluefield)—The competition was focused and the goal was to hone the life-saving skills of mine rescue crews. Eight mine rescue teams recently participated in the fourth annual Mine Rescue Competition at Bluefield State College. The daylong activity was created and coordinated by the National Mine Rescue Association Welch Post #1 Smoke-eaters and was hosted by the Center for Applied Research & Technology (CART) at Bluefield State College.

Consol Energy’s Buchanan Mine Rescue Black Team placed first in the contest and Consol’s Red Team placed second. Jewell Smokeless Coal’s Red Team was the third place finisher. The other five teams participating included the United Coal Company Pocahontas Mine Rescue Team, the International Coal Group (ICG) Mine Rescue Black Team, Jewell Smokeless Coal’s Blue Team, ICG’s Wolf Run Mine Rescue White Team, and the Southern Pocahontas Mine Rescue Team.

Mine rescue competitions are designed to sharpen skills and test the knowledge of miners who may one day be called upon to respond to a real mine emergency, according to the event’s director, Mike Plumley. Competitions include a written test, and also require teams to address a simulated problem resulting in trapped miners who must be located and rescued. Plumley is a mine inspector for District IV, West Virginia Office of Miners Health Safety and Training who specializes in electrical systems.

 “Competition helps us call attention to the need for the highest standards in mine safety,” Plumley said. “Participants can hone their mine rescue skills, improve communication with other team members, and develop better working relationships with other teams.”

Each team was given a mine rescue scenario, then addressed the challenge by working their way through a course designed to point out conditions faced in an actual mine rescue situation. The field portion of the meet took place at the June Oblinger Shott Baseball Field, adjacent to the staging areas in Dickason Hall on the BSC campus.

“We enjoy having the opportunity to support this event,” noted Bruce Mutter, CART CEO. Assisting the annual Mine Rescue Competition is particularly appropriate because of our school’s commitment to our Mining Engineering Technology program at BSC, industry participation in our robotics-related initiatives, and the fact that so many of our graduates work in the (mining) industry and have been so good about coming back to help us.

 The event’s sponsors included Consol Energy, Cleveland Cliffs Foundation, Heintzmann Corporation, CSE Corporation, Bluefield State College and CART, Inc.