Beginning on Monday, June 24, coal mine rescue teams from Utah and Colorado gathered to compete in a rigorous four-day mine rescue competition, put on by Rocky Mountain Mine Rescue Association, at Utah State University Eastern.
For hundreds of years, coal miners have kept the lights on, sacrificed their time, their health and oftentimes their own wellbeing, to provide for their families. Being a coal miner does not come without its sacrifices. Everyday coal miners around the world walk into a dark hole in the side of a mountain in hopes that they’ll get a chance to once again see the light of day.
Spouses, children, family and friends hold that same prayer each day. Too often it is heard that coal mining is a brotherhood, but what does that mean? Many miners will say to understand the brotherhood, one must be a coal miner. Being a coal miner isn’t just something to explain, it’s something to experience.
What happens when something goes terribly wrong? Who runs towards the danger to save one of their underground brothers or sisters? That job belongs to the mine’s designated rescue team. Men and women who voluntarily sign their name to become part of the coal mine’s rescue team.
While coal mining has been going on for hundreds of years, for 48 of those years, coal miners from Utah and Colorado have competed in mine rescue competitions with the Rocky Mountain Mine Rescue Association.
Mine Rescue Teams are required by federal mandate to attend at least two mine rescue competitions a year. In order for a team to qualify for competition they must have completed at least 96 hours of annual training and training is not to exceed two months in between trainings.
Justin Barrington, Chairman of the Rocky Mountain Mine Rescue Association, spoke about the time and dedication that it takes not only to be a coal miner, but also to voluntarily sign up to be a part of a mine rescue team. Barrington spoke about the sacrifices that spouses and children of coal miners so proudly offer as a way to support their loved one.
Barrington who has been Chairman for two months now, wanted to offer special thanks and gratitude to Denny Erickson, Treasurer for the Rocky Mountain Mine Rescue Association. Barrington shared that for the past nine years, Erickson has been the sole leader in putting together and organizing past competitions. Barrington joked that he has a new found respect for everything that goes into making a competition like this happen.
Barrington also expressed gratitude to everyone who helped put the event together, to ETV News for being in attendance and to those who have dedicated their own money and time to help this event succeed.
“I see the leadership that you exude and part of that leadership is the dedication that you have for the mine rescue,” expressed Barrington.
Barrington went on to present team awards as well as personal awards. Awards were as follows:
BioPak 240R Bench Competition
Novice 1st Place Winner- Mason Jones (Team: Company: Bronco Utah Operations State: UT.)
Overall Ranking 3rd Place Winner- Yancy Snyder (Team: Company: Bronco Utah Operations State: UT.)
Overall Ranking 2nd Place Winner-Andy Nelson (Team: Company: Bronco Utah Operations State: UT.)
Overall Ranking 1st Place Winner- Monty Owens (Team: King ll, Company: GCC, State: CO.)
Draeger BG 4 Bench Competition
Novice 1st Place Winner- Terrell Collins (Team: Twenty Mile #1, Company: Peabody, State: CO.)
1st Place Winner- Chad Day (Team: Twenty Mile #1, Company: Peabody, State: CO.)
2nd Place Winner-Tyler Fay (Team: Twenty Mile #1, Company: Peabody, State: CO.)
3rd Place Winner- Terrell Collins (Team: Twenty Mile #1, Company: Peabody, State: CO.)
First Aid Competition
1st Place Winner- Pat Matheson (Team: West Elk Red, Company: West Elk Mine, State: CO.)
2nd Place Winner-Danny Green (Team: Twenty Mile #1, Company: Peabody, State: CO.)
3rd Place Winner- Clint Roberts (Team: SUFCO Black, Company: Wolverine Fuels, State: UT.)
Day 1 Mine Rescue Competition-Coal
1st Place Winner- Thayn Larsen (Team: SUFCO Black, Company: Wolverine Fuels, State: UT.)
2nd Place Winner-Justin Sinclair (Team: Skyline Black, Company: Skyline Mine, State: UT.)
3rd Place Winner-Dennis Carmichael (Team: West Elk Blue, Company: West Elk Mine, State: CO.)
Day 2 Mine Rescue Competition-Coal
1st Place Winner- Justin Sinclair (Team: Skyline Black, Company: Skyline Mine, State: UT.)
2nd Place Winner- Dennis Carmichael (Team: West Elk Blue, Company: West Elk Mine, State: CO.)
3rd Place Winner- Shane Lester (Team: Gentry Blue, Company: Gentry Mountain Mining, State: UT.)
Pre-Shift Competition
1st Place Winner- Danny Green (Team: Twenty Mile #1, Company: Peabody, State: CO.)
2nd Place Winner- Bill Mazutis (Team: West Elk Red, Company: West Elk Mine, State: CO.)
3rd Place Winner- Clark Atwood (Team: Bronco Silver, Company: Bronco Utah Operations, State: UT.)
Technician Team Competition
1st Place Winner- Cody Austin (Team: Skyline Black, Company: Skyline Mine, State: UT.)
2nd Place Winner – Marcus G (Team: SUFCO Black, Company: Wolverine Fuels, State: UT.)
3rd Place Winner – Rigo Sanchez (Team: West Elk Red, Company West Elk Mine, State: CO.)
OVERALL MINE RESCUE COMPETITION-COAL
1st Place Winner- Justin Sinclair (Team: Skyline Black, Company: Skyline Mine, State: UT.)
2nd Place Winner- Dennis Carmichael (Team: West Elk Blue, Company: West Elk Mine, State: CO.)
3rd Place Winner – Chad Day (Team: Twenty Mile #1, Company: Peabody, State: CO.)
OVERALL MINE RESCUE + FIRST AID 2-DAY COMPETITION
1st Place Winner- Chad Day (Team: Twenty Mile #1, Company: Peabody, State: CO.)
2nd Place Winner- Thayn Larsen (Team: SUFCO Black, Company: Wolverine Fuels, State: UT.)
3rd Place Winner- Dennis Carmichael (Team: West Elk Blue, Company: West Elk Mine, State: CO.)
