By Keith Lacey
The Falconbridge Craig/Lockerby mine rescue team claimed the prestigious provincial championship at the recent 2002 Ontario Mine Rescue Competition in Timmins.
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Â?This is my third time winning the provincials, but my first time as team captain and I have to admit itÂ?s pretty sweet,Â? said Tom Dwyer, who was a member of the teams that captured provincials in 1994 and 1996.
The Craig/Lockerby team beat out six other teams to claim top spot.
Members of the winning team are vice-captain Ron Cormier, Brian Benoit, Peter Xavier, Marc Girard and David Lachance. Also part of the team were training officer John Hagan, briefing officer James Lundrigan and team technician Dan McIntosh.
All team members must take a written exam and then participate in two days of practical competition.
The first practical event, said Dwyer, included teams rescuing two people (dummies are used) from a crusher station and three others from behind barricades all while a simulated fire is underway. Teams are scored on first aid techniques, teamwork, following established procedure and other criteria.
Â?The whole idea behind this competition is to establish consistency across the entire province. The idea is if there is an underground fire or other emergency, you can bring in a team from anywhere in Ontario and they will be able to jump right in and work alongside other teams,Â? said Dwyer.
It takes two months of studying and training to prepare for the regional competition in May and provincials in June, but all the hard work is worth it when you become a provincial champion, said Dwyer.
A mining rescue team from Australia took part in the competition in Timmins, and they have invited the Craig/Lockerby team to the Australian championships in September.
Â?We hope Falconbridge continues their strong support and might agree to help us,Â? said Dwyer. Â?WeÂ?re going to look into holding some big fundraising events over the summer and see if we might be able to raise enough money to go over to Australia.Â?
