Mining Emergency Response Teams Tested in Rescue Exercises and Competition
HAVANA, Fla. — Miners, emergency responders and safety workers from across the Southeast convened at the Florida Public Safety Institute in Havana, Fla., on Feb. 25-28 to participate in the Second Annual Surface Mining Emergency Response Training and Competition hosted by the Florida Mine Safety Program (FMSP).
The event allowed emergency response teams in mining and related industries to test their skills across a wide range of realistic emergency response scenarios. The four-day event began on Monday, Feb. 25, with training sessions and free demonstrations on topics including rappelling, rope rescue, first aid, medical response to trauma, and water safety and survival. On Tuesday, the team competition kicked off with a captains’ meeting and a multiple-choice exam. Competition activities continued on Wednesday with a field exercise, during which teams were deployed to an area and faced with a rescue scenario. On Thursday, teams participated in the first aid practical, which was the final portion of the competition.
“The second year of the Florida Mine Safety Program’s annual mine rescue event was a huge success, thanks to the support of our participating teams, sponsors, vendors and spectators,” said FMSP Mining Program Manager Karen Miller, CMSP. “Our ultimate goal for this event is for participants to take home knowledge and skills that will better prepare them for real-life emergency scenarios that they may face on the job so that they can go home safely to their families at the end of each day.”
Fourteen teams from across the Southeastern U.S.participated in the competition, with the Vulcan Black team of the Vulcan Materials branch based in Brentwood, Tenn., taking home the Grand Champion overall trophy. For more details on the event, please visit http://flminesafety.com/competition/.
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The Florida Mine Safety Program (FMSP) aims to educate those who partake in mining operations by assisting mining companies and mining contractors with their health and safety training. For more than 30 years, the program has operated as a federally-funded grant program under the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), whose mission is to prevent death, disease and injuries in the mining industry. This is done through a variety of training courses, conferences and informational seminars offered by FMSP. To learn more, visit www.flminesafety.com.
