Top mine rescue teams to compete for provincial title
As Ontario Mine Rescue District Competitions came to a close on May 9th, each of the eight districts celebrated their winning team during the evening ceremonies. The winners are expected to compete at the Provincial Competition in June, where only one team will return home with the coveted gold hard hats.
This year’s district competition was packed with new and unexpected events – malfunctioning gear and last resort solutions during an active emergency kept competitors on their feet.
Teams began their scenario with a vehicle crash blocking their way to a fuel bay on fire, no water available, and a casualty trapped by their seatbelt. Too hot to use a fire extinguisher, they worked quickly to free the casualty and pulled the vehicle out of the doorway. Once completed, a built-in fire suppression system activated and extinguished the fire, which allowed the team to search for the next casualty. However, they were still expected to use a fire extinguisher on a volatile fuel spill – while not the best method, it was necessary under the circumstances.
Aside from extinguishing fires and rescuing casualties, certain mine rescue volunteers are trained to troubleshoot, repair, and maintain breathing apparatus. These volunteers, known as Technicians, are actively on standby during emergencies to service equipment. Technicians were called to action when the captain’s breathing apparatus failed a basic field test at the start of the competition.
That doesn’t mean all equipment is repairable on demand – it’s natural for old technology to become obsolete, and parts discontinued. In the first aid section, teams faced yet another equipment failure and were forced to use an alternative breathing apparatus on their casualty. Their backup plan was a new open circuit breathing apparatus, known as the MSA G1. This firefighting staple, introduced to volunteers in the Surface Mine Rescue program, is a viable way to transport casualties through dangerous environments.
“Even if we’re prepared for any emergency, the least ideal solution could be the only one available,” says Shawn Rideout, Chief Mine Rescue Officer at Workplace Safety North. “Paying attention to your surroundings, problem-solving under pressure, and adapting as the situation unfolds is critical in mine rescue work.”
The finalists moving on to the provincial competition are as follows:
ALGOMA DISTRICT
Alamos – Island Gold
Captain Jessy Dechamplain
#2 Thomas Brand
#3 Veronique Humphries
#4 Cody Lessard
Vice-Captain Daniel Webb
#6 Dave Ouellet
#7 Jake Brousseau
Briefing Officer (B.O.) Justin Krueger
Winning technician: Kyle Ouellet - Alamos
SUDBURY DISTRICT
Vale – East Mines
Captain Kordell Hull
#2 Jason Cook
#3 Jeremy Faulkner
#4 Tyler Eady
Vice-Captain Mario Ceccon
#6 Will Langois
#7 Adam Widder
B.O. Shawn St. Louis
Winning technician: Nick Fram – Vale West
ONAPING DISTRICT
Glencore – Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations
Captain Julien Lalande
#2 Aaron Boutet
#3 Neil Poulin
#4 Patrick Legris
Vice-Captain Shawn O'Brien
#6 Steven Hrycay
#7 Mario Seguin
B.O. Bleir Millions
Winning technician: Daniel Rioux - Glencore
THUNDER BAY DISTRICT
New Gold Inc. – Rainy River Mine
Captain Hannah Marcotte
#2 Mackenzie Mahon
#3 Mitchell Hearn
#4 Tyler Roy
Vice Captain Tyler Venerus
#6 Chris Matechuk
B.O. Justin Borger
Winning technician: Jarid Sandelovich – New Gold Inc.
RED LAKE DISTRICT
Orla Mining – Musselwhite Mine
Captain Alexa Dumaine
#2 Matt Arges
#3 Frank Nepveu
#4 Kiyoshi Brayshaw
Vice-Captain Kevin Ireland
#6 Jimmy Sinclair
#7 Riley Bennett
B.O. Steve Uchtenhagen
Winning technician: Gabriel Roy – Orla Mining
TIMMINS DISTRICT
Glencore – Kidd Operations
Captain Clint Scripnick
#2 Gilles Paradis
#3 Michael Murphy
#4 Matthew Richards
Vice-Captain Randy Gagnon
#6 Reid Murray
B.O. James Comeau
Winning technician: Dominic Gervais – Lake Shore Gold-Panamerican Silver
KIRKLAND LAKE DISTRICT
Agnico Eagle – Macassa Mine
Captain Jackson Lafrance
#2 Nick Perrier
#3 Denis Dion
#4 Colin Price
Vice-Captain Jean-Francois Racine
#6 Carlie Dewar
#7 Alex Perrault
B.O. April Belecque
Winning technician: Caolan Browne – Agnico Eagle
SOUTHERN DISTRICT
Compass Minerals – Goderich Mine
Captain David Kelly
#2 Joel Paquette
#3 Marshall Jeffery
#4 Chris Sallows
Vice-Captain Cody Lobb
#6 Kyle Ropp
#7 Aaron Duckworth
B.O. Ken Nguyen
Winning technician: Dennis Hogan – Compass Minerals
Teams will face a brand new scenario at the Ontario Mine Rescue Provincial Competition set to take place June 3rd to 5th, at Glencore Kidd Operations in Timmins. Only one team will take the winning title.
For more information, visit the OMR competition webpage.