By Brenna Angel
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mine rescue teams from eight states will put their skills to the test at a contest in Maysville, Kentucky this week. The Mine Safety and Health Administration is sponsoring the 4th annual Southeast Region / Central Kentucky Mine Rescue Contest.
The two-day event will feature a variety of scenarios, including a mine fire, explosion, or roof collapse.
"You've got a certain geographic area you have to follow," says Brent Davenport of the Central Kentucky Mine Rescue Association. "They'll have a little placard on the ground that says this atmosphere's contaminated, here's what you've got. Well you have to take your meter and simulate reading that atmosphere. Then you have to take provisions to remedy that problem."
Teams are coming from Kentucky, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia, and Kansas to compete. The groups routinely work with gold mines, salt mines, and other metal and non-metal operations.