Shafter miners take first place in rescue competition
Bigbendnow
June 27, 2013
See Rio Grande Mining Company Team Photo
Shafter-based Rio Grande Mining Company employees took first place overall in the novice category at the New Mexico Mine Rescue Regional Completion held May 21-23 at the Taos New Mexico University Facilities.
It was the team’s very first mine rescue competition.
Ted Apodaca, General Manager of Rio Grande Mining-Shafter mine, stated that he was extremely proud of the Shafter Mine Rescue team for their very first competition and receiving first place of the overall novice category.
“My dad (Desi Apodaca) was the Department Administrator for the New Mexico State Mine Inspector Division for many years,” Ted Apodaca said. “He trained me and a lot of miners in the state of New Mexico in mine rescue in the 1980s and 1990s. I know he is smiling down upon us right now.”
RGMC team members are Steve Lambert, trainer; Saul Pardo, coordinator; Kevin Maes, captain; Jorge Lopez, gas; Ryan Vickers, map; Erik Hernandez, first aid; Jose Angel Hernandez, co-captain; Alfredo Lopez, fresh air base; and Ricardo Arias and Melanie Locke, alternates.
The first aid team included Saul Pardo, Eric Hernandez and Melanie Locke, and team technicians were Jorge Lopez and Jose Angel Hernandez.
The first day of competition was the field problem, and all teams that participated had to work a simulated mine rescue and recovery operation with a time limit of 90 minutes. The teams were briefed by mine management that smoke was observed coming from the exhaust shaft, and two miners were trapped underground. All of the other miners were safe on surface.
The teams worked exploring the mine; they must stop at every intersection and take gas readings. The Captain will check for ground conditions at the roof and the ribs. A person on the team is designated as the map man and communicates to a fresh air base on surface. The fresh air base is responsible for mapping and coordinating with the team to make safe advancements of the mine. The Two miners that were barricaded in the mine was rescued and brought to surface.
RGMC finished the problem with 15 minutes left on the clock.
The second day of competition was the First Aid and Team Technician contests. All teams were divided with only three team members to conduct the first aid problem. The first aid problem was an simulated explosion in the mine. The teams had to treat a victim that had severe trauma to the head, chest and limbs. The teams had 30 minutes to work on treated the patient of all injuries and ready the patient for transfer to surface.
This contest was held in the dark and only light that available was the cap lamps the team was using.
The team technician contest consists of two team members. Team Technicians were timed to eliminate planted (bugs) in their equipment. The judges of this completion will insert and/or delete components of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, gas meters, communication and first-aid equipment. The objective of the technicians is to remove the (bugs) and make the equipment function properly.
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