Saskatoon hosts 56th mine rescue, emergency response competition

(Hallee Mandryk/CTV News)

The Saskatchewan Mining Association’s Emergency Response/Mine Rescue Skills Competition returned to Saskatoon for the annual event’s 56th year.

“It’s really a test of our mine rescue and emergency response team skills. It’s probably as close as you will ever get to a real emergency occurring. So it really puts them under pressure so that we can test them and how they how they react in those high-pressure situations,” James Ferstl, the event marshal, said.

Prairieland Park was full of emergency response personnel from across the province, who showcased their skills in a variety of simulated scenarios.

“We try very hard as mining operations not to have any sorts of serious incidents or large-scale emergencies. So, making sure that our people have been tested and can perform well under pressure is really the key and the reason behind this competition,” Ferstl said.

Some of the events included first aid, surface rope rescue and mine problems.

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One of the particularly popular competitions was the live firefighting event. Crowds gathered to watch fire crews put out blazes with dry chemical fire extinguishers surrounding a handful of differently shaped “props”.

The event’s coordinator, Sean Linton shared that the props look different each year, and a lot of thought goes into their design.

“We try to make creative, try to make it look like something they might see at the at the mine site...The props are built to, one, test the different firefighting techniques, and then also test the theory that you need to know when it comes to the firefighting....we want the teams to be able to come up, identify which props require which tools, and how many people they need to fight those fires,” Linton said.

The event was free for members of the public to attend, and a variety of activities were available for kids to learn a little more about the industry.

Ferstl said that showcases like this one are a rare opportunity for folks to see firsthand the skills that go into various emergency operations.

“In a lot of cases, with our underground mining operations and even our surface operations, the general population doesn’t really understand what we do from either an operational perspective or from an emergency response perspective.....Hopefully it gives them a glimpse into what emergency response mine rescue is all about,” Ferstl said.

Linton added that for his firefighting event, it’s rewarding to see such an interest from the public.

“I love it....For the teams, I’m sure it’s a little more stressful for them. But I love hearing the crowd cheer everybody on and cheer. I especially love the kids,” Linton said.

The 19 teams competing this year mark a new participation record for the event. Those who come out on top in their event receive an award at a wrap up banquet hosted at the end of the competition. While showcasing the talent and training among the teams is a big part of the event, Linton said that the practical application goes far beyond that.

“It is a really good catalyst for training. This is something they train for all year and intensively trained leading up to the event....The skills they train for here are great out here to go to the banquet and win a trophy. But more importantly, if an emergency happens, they’re ready to use them,” Linton said.