Ryan Devolder, left, Gordon Zoyb, Ryan Erickson and Branden Wallis, members of Ekati Diamond Mine's underground team
competing in the 2015 Mine Rescue Competition last weekend were the winners of Underground Bench/Field Test competition. - Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo |
Ekati shines in mine rescue competition
Teams win rope rescue, underground written test and more
Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Friday, June 19, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Ekati Diamond Mine rescue teams won the overall surface and overall underground trophies during the 58th Annual Mine Rescue Competition last weekend.
Mine Rescue Competition winners:
- First Aid: Snap Lake Diamond Mine
- Surface Practical Bench: Minto Mine
- Firefighting: Minto
- Rope Rescue: Ekati Diamond Mine, underground team
- Surface Written Test: Minto
- Underground Written Test: Ekati, underground team
- Surface Smoke: Ekati, surface team
- Underground Smoke: Diavik Diamond Mine
- Underground Bench/Field Test: Ekati, underground team
- Surface Obstacle/Extrication: Meadowbank Gold Mine
- Underground Obstacle: Diavik
- Overall Surface: Ekati
- Overall Underground: Ekati
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The competition was run by the Worker's Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) and took place in the parking lot near the Ruth Inch Memorial Pool on Saturday.
Dominion Diamond's acting CEO Brendan Bell congratulated the team members in an e-mail.
"The awards are a testament to our employees' dedication to emergency response practices and techniques," stated Bell.
"We are very proud of all our teams."
Teams from across the three territories, as well as a team from the New Afton Mine, near Kamloops B.C., took part in a number of competitions testing their ability to respond to mine emergencies.
Firefighting, rope rescue, ability to navigate obstacles and to extricate mine workers were among the skillsets being tested.
Peter Bengts, outgoing WSCC chief inspector of mines, attended the event and congratulated the teams in a news release.
"They know what to do in the event of an emergency," stated Bengts, who has now retired after an 18-year career.
Surface rescue team members for Ekati were Gordon Frowen, Darryl Klochko, Keith Winship, Don Hebden, Geoff Kinder, Tom Smith and David Squires while the underground team was comprised of Branden Wallis, Ryan Erickson, Gordon Zoyb, Ryan Devolder, Randy Zoebiak, David Heathfield and Peter Devolder.
