When an emergency happens in a coal mine, minutes count and the ability to work through the problem at hand is essential.
Nineteen regional mine rescue teams will test their problem-solving skills during the Post 5 mine rescue contest July 27-28 at Mylan Park in Morgantown.
West Virginia Universitys College of Engineering and Mineral ResourcesMining Extension Service Post 5, the U.S. Department of Labors Mine Safety and Health Administration District 3 and the West Virginia Office of MinersHealth, Safety and Training are sponsors.
Four eventsthe mine rescue contest, the bench contest, the first aid contest and the pre-shift examiners contestare scheduled.
Registration for the mine rescue contest will be from 6-7 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, at the Alternative Learning Center with the contest starting at 8 a.m. at the mine rescue field. The bench contest starts at 8 a.m. Thursday, July 28, in the gym. The first-aid contest begins at 9 a.m. Thursday, July 28 in the Alternative Learning Center. The pre-shift examiners contest starts at 8 a.m. on Thursday on the mine rescue field.
The mine rescue event tests the rescue teamsability to evaluate an emergency situation and rescue any surviving miners in an underground coal mine. In the bench contest, the benchman, usually a rescue team member, repairs a self-contained breathing apparatus worn by rescuers when they go underground. The pre-shift examiners event tests contestantsproficiency in examining a mine before workers enter it.
Rescue teams are assigned the same emergency problem to solvebe it missing miners, an explosion or fire, a roof fall or a mine inundated with water. They are judged on procedures and speed.
An awards ceremony will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the park pavilion.
Mylan Park is on Chaplin Hill Road near the Star City exit of Interstate 79.
MINE RESCUE PARTICIPANTS
Mine Rescue Contest (19 teams): Consolidation Coal Co., Blacksville No. 2 Team, Wana, W.Va.; Consolidation Coal Co., Bailey, West Finley, Pa.; Consol Energy, Enlow Fork Mine, West Finley, Pa.; Consol Energy, McElroy Mine, Wilkesville, Ohio; Consol Energy, Robinson Run No. 95, Rivesville, W.Va.; Consol Energy, VP-8 Mine Rescue Team; Consol Energy, Buchanan No. 1 Mine Rescue Team; Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Federal No. 2 Team, Fairview, W.Va.; Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Southern Appalachia, Wharton, W.Va.; Eighty-Four Mining Co., Mine 84, Washington, Pa.; Consolidation Coal Co., Shoemaker Mine, Dallas, W.Va.; Consolidation Coal Co., Loveridge No. 22, Fairview, W.Va.; Riverton Coal Co., Team No. 1, East Lynn, W.Va.; Massy Energy, East Kentucky Team; Jewell Smokeless Coal Corp.,ATeam; Ohio Valley Coal Co., Ohio Valley Coal; Pinnacle Mining Co., Pinnacle; Cumberland Coal Resources, Cumberland Mine; Massey Coal Co., Southern West Virginia Team
Bench Contest (23 entrants): Dave Blankenship, Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Southern Appalachia, Wharton, W.Va.; Randy Bombach, Consol Energy, Enlow Fork Mine, West Finley, Pa.; Bob Calhoun, Consol Pa. Coal Co., Bailey, Graysville, Pa.; Smokey Goodwin, Robinson Run No. 95, Fairmont, W.Va.; Rob Hutchison, RAG Cumberland Resources Mine Rescue, Waynesburg, Pa.; Harry McGinnis, Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Federal No. 2 Team, Fairview, W.Va.; Gene Menozzi, Consol Pa. Coal Co., Bailey, Graysville, Pa.; Harry Powell, Cumberland Resources Mine Rescue, Waynesburg, Pa.; Danny Rush, Consol, Blacksville No. 2 Mine, Wana, W.Va.; Bob Volpe, Eighty-Four Mining Co., Mine 84, Eighty-Four, Pa.; Reginald Lambright, Consol Energy, Buchanan No. 1 Mine Rescue Team; John Click, Massey Coal Co., Southern West Virginia Team; Steve Gravley, Consolidation Coal Co., Shoemaker Mine, Dallas, W.Va.; Cliff Ward, Consolidation Coal Co., Shoemaker Mine, Dallas, W.Va.; TBA , Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Southern Appalachia, Wharton, W.Va.; Steve Miller, Massy Energy, East Kentucky Team; Doug Wade, Consolidation Coal Co., Blacksville No. 2 Team, Wana, W.Va.; Bob Rohde, Consol Energy, McElroy Mine, Wilkesville, Ohio; Larry, Hedrick, Pinnacle Mining Co., Pinnacle; Nick Tipi, Consolidation Coal Co., Loveridge No. 22, Fairview, W.Va.; Jeff Bienkoski, Consol Energy, Robinson Run No. 95, Rivesville, W.Va.; Ken Clarke, Eighty-Four Mining Co., Mine 84, Washington, Pa.; Dave Rush, Consol, Blacksville No. 2 Mine, Wana, W.Va.
First Aid (3 entrants): Jackie Repass, Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Southern Appalachia, Wharton, W.Va.; Harvey Ferrell, Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Southern Appalachia, Wharton, W.Va.; Rick Matheney, Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Federal No. 2 Team, Fairview, W.Va.
Pre-Shift (24 entrants): Jim Ponceroff, Consol, Blacksville No. 2 Mine, Wana, W.Va.; Robert Brown, Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Federal No. 2 Team, Fairview, W.Va.; Mark Gouzd, Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Federal No. 2 Team, Fairview, W.Va.; Kelvin Jolly, Consol Energy, McElroy Mine, Wilkesville, Ohio; Adrian Gordon, Eighty-Four Mining Co., Mine 84, Eighty-Four, Pa. Dale Tiberie, Eighty-Four Mining Co., Mine 84, Eighty-Four, Pa.; Wayne Stafford, Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Southern Appalachia, Wharton, W.Va.; Bob Haines, Consolidation Coal Co., Shoemaker Mine, Dallas, W.Va.; Larry Cuddy, Consol Pa. Coal Co., Bailey, West Finley, Pa.; Wayne Conaway, Consolidation Coal Co., Loveridge Mine No. 22; Rick Shockley, Consolidation Coal Co., Loveridge Mine No. 22; Bill Reid, Consol Energy Inc., Robinson Run No. 95, Rivesville, W.Va.; Jim Aurednik, Massey Energy, Southern West Virginia Team, Sylvester, W.Va.; Shane McPherson, Massey Energy, Southern West Virginia Team, Sylvester, W.Va.; Jamie McClaugherty, Massey Energy, Southern West Virginia Team, Sylvester, W.Va.; Michel Bryant, Riverton Coal Co., Team No. 1; Joe White, McElroy Coal Co., McElroy Mine Rescue; Preston Toney, Cumberland Resources Mine Rescue, Waynesburg, Pa.; Jerry High, Cumberland Resources Mine Rescue, Waynesburg, Pa.; Gerald Saunders, Consol Energy, Buchanan No. 1 Mine Rescue Team; Charles Conn, Massy Energy, East Kentucky Team; Jarrod Cisco, Riverton Coal Co., Team No. 1; Paul Adkins, , Massy Energy, East Kentucky Team; Larry Tenney, Consol Energy, Robinson Run No. 95, Rivesville, W.Va.