Carmeuse Black River Bandits bring home the Gold

The Carmeuse Black River Mine Rescue Team excelled at this year’s National Mine Rescue Contest, placing in the top three in the Bench BioPack 240-R and Technician Team contests. 

Black River’s Steven Smith took top spot, with teammate John Bravard close behind, to lead the rest of the pack in the Bench BioPack 240-R Contest. The event tests competitor’s abilities to assemble, test and correct any problems with the BioPack 240-R rebreathers used by elite rescue teams around the world when responding to incidents in mines and other hazardous environments.

The two-man team of Heath Gulley and Ren Ramer placed third in the Technician Team Contest, which requires competitors to properly prepare, repair and calibrate a multi-gas detector, and then demonstrate correct air management skills by measuring and reporting the concentrations of oxygen, methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in a ‘gas box.’ 

The contest took place at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY, and is judged by representatives from the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration and the local state mine safety agency. 

“Our mine rescue team must be completely knowledgeable and prepared to utilize their training at a moment’s notice to protect themselves and to rescue miners trapped by various hazards, including fires, explosions, cave-ins, toxic gases, and flooding. The National Mine Rescue Contest presents an excellent opportunity for our team to demonstrate and further hone these critical skills, and we are proud of their outstanding performance at this year’s event,” said Lisa Wellman, Senior Human Resource Manager at Carmeuse. 

Pictured in the photograph is the Black River Bandits proudly displaying their awards.