For the fourth year in a row the Nevada Mine Rescue Association is holding its annual Nevada Regional Mine Rescue Competition in Winnemucca at the events complex.
Next week's event marks the 10th year the association has put on its annual underground mine rescue contest.
Newmont's Emergency Response and Hazmat Manager Mike Peck, the association's president, said the move to Winnemucca from the Fire Science Academy in Carlin (which closed) has been a positive experience.
"It's been a great reception; we love going over there," Peck said. "The community and businesses have really opened up."
The event begins Tuesday with team check-in and written tests and ends Thursday with an awards dinner for participants. Throughout Wednesday and Thursday, teams will participate in field, first aid and technician contests.
Basic field day takes place Wednesday and doors open to the public at 7 a.m. when teams take their places. The event consists of a mock-mine set-up that teams will use to solve problems like loss of ventilation, fires and trapped miners.
The format of the contest has teams starting off with zero points and attempting to stay at zero. Added points mean a less-than-perfect score.
Thursday's events begin at 7 a.m. with the first aid contest. During this competition, team members will have to respond to a scenario in which one or two miners are trapped. Teams will have to package the injured miner(s) for transport and get them to "safety."
The technician team contest also takes place at 7 a.m. on Thursday. Tech team members will have to correctly fix breathing apparatuses and gas meters that are not properly functioning.
There are currently eight teams registered for the competition: two teams from the Colorado School of Mining, one team from Henderson, Colo., one team from Mullan, Idaho, three teams from Barrick-Cortez, Gold Strike and Turquoise Ridge and one team from Newmont-Carlin.
The event concludes with a banquet awards dinner Thursday that will honor the winners from each category.[[In-content Ad]]
