The event, which began at 10:45 a.m. EST, included brief remarks from MSHA officials and other members of the mining community. Additionally, media representatives had an opportunity to learn more about high-tech methods available for locating trapped miners. Rescue experts at the event also discussed how teams prepare in the case of a mine emergency.
The Mine Rescue Day commemoration began three years ago in honor of when Dr. Joseph Holmes organized the first national mine rescue demonstration at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh on Oct. 30, 1911.
“The number of times that mine rescuers have placed their own safety and lives at risk to save others during our mining history is staggering,” says Joe Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. “These brave men and women undertake some of the most difficult and risky emergency response work, under some of the most arduous and treacherous conditions.”
