FOLLOWING on from their successful participation the 2022 Victorian Mine Rescue Competition, or VMRC, a Mandalay Costerfield based team of specialised first responders is preparing to defend their title.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s competition will be held at Stawell Gold Mine and a nearby oval between 20 and 22 October.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur team won best overall at last year\u2019s event and is looking forward to competing again this year,\u201d said senior safety coordinator Scott Symons.<\/p>\n
The VMRC is a mine rescue and emergency response capacity building exercise.<\/p>\n
Teams from across Victoria and Australia compete against each other in a variety of simulated emergency situations to test their skills and share their knowledge with each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cTen teams will be competing in a range of events including rope exercises, underground search and rescue, firefighting, first aid, breathing apparatus and theory,\u201d said Symons.<\/p>\n
The awards presentation will be held at Halls Gap on Sunday afternoon following the competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe competition is a critical part of the mining industry\u2019s efforts to support highly trained rescue personnel across Australia and contributes greatly to the minerals industry\u2019s commitment to zero harm,\u201d said James Sorahan executive director of the Minerals Council of Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe simulated exercises faced by the teams at the competition help prepare them for any emergencies on site.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmergency response agencies attend the competition to help enable mine rescue personnel and first responders to be prepared if called upon in operations throughout the state.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the last 30 years, VMRC has hosted teams from all over Australia and held competitions in locations including Latrobe Valley, Wonthaggi, Bendigo and Seymour.<\/p>\n
Next year\u2019s competition will be held at Fosterville and Bendigo in March.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FOLLOWING on from their successful participation the 2022 Victorian Mine Rescue Competition, or VMRC, a Mandalay Costerfield based team of specialised first responders is preparing to defend their title. This year\u2019s competition will be held at Stawell Gold Mine and a nearby oval between 20 and 22 October. \u201cOur team won best overall at last […]<\/p>\n