SWEETWATER COUNTY — Mine rescue teams from Tata, Solvay, WE Soda and Sisecam competed in a four-day Southwest Wyoming Mutual Aid Association competition this week, testing their skills in underground rescue simulations, first aid, breathing apparatus repair and gas detection.
The overall winner will be announced at a dinner Thursday, June 4.
The association’s president, Joe Thompson, said the competition is as much about preparedness as it is about winning.
“It’s just like any skill, if you don’t use it, you lose it,” Thompson said.
Member companies are also expected to send teams and resources to any mine emergency in the region, regardless of which company is affected.
“That’s what mutual aid is all about,” Thompson said.
Underground Rescue
The centerpiece event places five-person teams, fully equipped with rebreathers and rescue gear, inside a maze of ropes and barriers simulating an underground mine during an emergency. Teams have two hours to locate trapped miners, extinguish fires and map the area.
Each team is built around five roles. The captain leads the expedition, while the co-captain relays all information in real time to a command center above ground and tracks the team’s whereabouts. The map reader charts the team’s path and marks any hazards encountered along the way. The gas monitor checks air conditions and notes any pockets of dangerous gas, information that becomes critical if rescuers need to bring a survivor out without a rebreather. The first-aid responder provides medical assistance to anyone the team finds.
First Aid
Three-person teams first take a written exam, then complete a simulation in which they must extract and treat a victim from a confined space, such as a collapsed mine or vehicle wreck and render aid.
Breathing Apparatus
Two-person teams must reassemble a fully disassembled breathing apparatus and repair a second malfunctioning unit, then pass a functionality test.
Gas Detection
Two-person teams use instruments to measure airflow and detect dangerous gases. Teams must also identify and repair a deliberate fault in their equipment.
