VALLEY VIEW — With four miners missing, it was Chris Carl’s duty to lead a team of rescuers into the depths of the unknown.
As Team One captain, Carl was responsible for ensuring that his men remained safe while they explored the last area the missing miners may have labored. Dangers standing in the way of a recovery could include collapsed ceilings, poor ventilation, and the presence of methane gas or carbon monoxide.
“We do the main part of the exploration and make sure that it’s safe to travel through the mine, and initiate all the checks we have to do,” Carl said, following the “Skills” competition Tuesday morning at Valley View Park in Hegins Township.
Two other four-member teams competed Tuesday. All of the teams are part of the Auger Anthracite Underground Rescue Team. Troy A. Wolfgang, a representative with the state Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Mine Safety, coordinated the event and served as one of the judges.
Tremont No. 2 Team, comprised of Ed Niedlinger, Steve Gaffney, James Shingara and Greg Yurchak won this year’s skills title. Jason Sherry was team alternate. The winning team received a traveling, engraved plaque. At least three teams have to participate in an event in order for it to be a legitimate competition that meets national contest rules, Wolfgang said.
Skills
Teams were tested in six skills: simulated mine rescue, smoke exercise, first aid scenario, gas calibration, bench contest with breathing apparatus assessment and operation, and a written exam.
Each operating anthracite mine is required to have at least two employees be members of the rescue team, according to Wolfgang. There are currently 10 mines in the anthracite region, he said, and there are three mine rescue teams serving Schuylkill County.
Team effort
In the mine rescue simulation, Paul Wagner portrayed the briefing officer above ground, relaying information with Carl’s communications man. Wagner reminded Carl when his team should check the oxygen levels of their Drager BG-4 breathing apparatus, and coordinated mapping efforts for what the team was encountering inside the mine. He helped them navigate and avoid potential threats.
“A guy inside is doing mapping, while the briefing officer also does mapping. You can see where the hazards are, and you want to get them to the victims as fast and safely as possible,” Wagner said. “If I see something, I relay it, and it’s up to the captain to see that it gets done.”
During the competition, participants hold several rescue personnel positions, according to Wagner.
“This gives them experience with all of the equipment and puts everyone into a different scenario,” he said.
For Carl, he said learning how to properly use the equipment, to work as a team and to always follow procedure were probably the most valuable lessons learned. Carl, Valley View, is a miner for Alfred Brown Coal, New Philadelphia. Wagner, Tremont, is retired, but serves as an EMT. Wagner said the local rescue teams are some of the few teams in the state that are trained for rappel rescue.
Judges
Nine representatives from DEP and five from the Mine Safety and Health Administration served as judges. The Independent Miners & Associates Inc., Tremont, helped coordinate the local training for the mine rescue teams.
Part of the team members’ certification process includes attending one Mine Emergency Response Drill and one Skills contest per year, plus receiving 96 hours of additional training, Wolfgang said. Teams are also required to visit each mine in the region they serve at least twice a year to get familiar with the mining operation’s layout. This year’s MERD was held at a limestone mine in Annville, Wolfgang said.
Among the judges, in addition to Troy Wolfgang, were: Scott Wolfgang, DEP Emergency Response Training Specialist; Steve Geist, DEP mine inspector; Greg Mahalchick, MSHA education and training specialist; Jeff Harman, DEP underground mine inspector; and several others.
At Scott Wolfgang’s station, he monitored teams testing for first aid. In the scenario, rescuers discovered a 50-year-old male who became dizzy, fell down a pitch, suffered a broken arm and had labored breathing. They had to demonstrate how they’d secure the scene, assess and treat the patient, and remove the “victim.” The first aid station was purposely situated between a picnic table in the park’s eating house and the wall, demonstrating the tight quarters miners often face in rescues.
Jeff Harman oversaw another testing station, having miners demonstrate their knowledge of working with anemometers and smoke tubes to calculate the velocity of airflow. There must be a minimum of 200 cubic feet per minute per man, Harman said.
Another testing site, at the park’s enclosed stage, simulated a smoke incident, which tested teams’ use of apparatus and ability to locate items in a smoky environment.
IMA
The IMA is a consortium for independent anthracite miners, and has about 50 members, according to Keith A. Laslow, IMA vice president. Joining Laslow on Tuesday as they assisted at the park was Al Reber, IMA secretary and a member of the Pennsylvania Mine Board. IMA keeps miners abreast of state and federal mining regulations, and up-to-date on any permit changes. IMA meets at 3 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month at 44 Crescent St., Tremont. Other IMA officers include Al Brown, president; Bob Pinchorski, treasurer; and Paula Klinger, office secretary.
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