The Brucejack Mine rescue team came back with some hardware after competing in its first provincial competition.
Travis Murphy won Best Underground Coordinator and the team won Best Underground Firefighting at the 63rd Annual Provincial Mine Rescue and First Aid Competition in Kimberley recently.
Team member Lee Johnson lives in Smithers. Brucejack general manager Kevin Torpy said the Smithers Fire Department has been a big help in the development of the team’s firefighting capabilities.
The Mine Rescue and First Aid Competition, held annually since the 1950s, pits teams of mine safety and rescue professionals from around the province against one another in head-to-head competitions involving simulated mine rescue situations.
The competition provides mine rescue teams with an intensive learning opportunity and a chance to test their emergency response capabilities against one another. This annual event is meant to ensure that British Columbia’s mine rescue teams are trained to the same high standards, and to highlight the B.C. mining industry’s commitment to health and safety best practices.