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Mining students place in regional mine rescue competition

A photo of the student mine rescue team and advisors.

WVU sent two teams to SME's Eastern Collegiate Mine Rescue Contest

West Virginia University’s student Mine Rescue team placed second at the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration’s Eastern Collegiate Mine Rescue Contest, held in Lexington, Kentucky, April 1.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—
WVU sent two teams to the competition. The WVU Gold and WVU Blue team were each made up of seven students who were judged on two components: a statement of facts test and a mine exploration problem.

The statement of facts test required one randomly selected member from each team to answer a 10-question test based on more than 100 possible mine safety facts. Each missed question received a reduction in score. For the mine exploration problem, each team had to explore and ventilate a simulated mining environment with hazardous situations and bring a mock patient to safety. Teams were judged on time, mapping of the mine and following correct procedures and rules while exploring the mine.

The WVU Gold team placed second, and the WVU Blue team placed fifth.

“The members from WVUMR who competed were excited that a team placed in the top three,” said Greg Parker, WVUMR president and mining engineering major from St. Clairsville, Ohio. “Our members have put in countless hours toward this organization to further our education about mine rescue and we all understand how important this training is to make sure we are prepared for an emergency situation, whether it is on or off a job site.”

WVUMR will begin preparing for the fall SME Eastern Collegiate Mine Rescue Contest, which will be held at the National Mine Rescue Academy in Beckley, on October 28.


-WVU-

bmf/04/04/17

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