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Communiqué

McClean Lake Team Wins at SMA Mine Rescue Competition

Tracy Gaudry and Mark Campbell demonstrating their skills as they win the ERT first aid competition.

The AREVA Resources’ McClean Lake Emergency Response Team (ERT) took home first place in two categories at the Saskatchewan Mining Association’s 40th annual Mine Rescue Competition in Saskatoon on May 31. The competition featured five events for each team: first aid, fire fighting, proficiency, practical skills and either an underground mine problem or a surface field problem.

Competing in the surface category, the 6-person McClean Lake ERT won top honours in the first aid and proficiency events. Team members include Sheldon Leuschen (captain), Mark Campbell (vice captain), Craig Cowper, Grant Harrison, Lloyd Rowson and Tracy Gaudry.

“It is a challenge to compete in all five events in one day,” says veteran mine rescue trainer Dennis Wilson, who shares coaching duties for the team with emergency medical technician Dwayne Kashuba. “The proficiency event alone consists of three tests. There is a bench test where we are judged on our procedure for getting into our self contained breathing apparatus gear, a gas test where we have to identify several different types of gases and whether or not they are a health risk, and a written test.”

In the surface category, the field problem can reflect a number of scenarios – rescuing someone from a confined space, delivering first aid in a confined space, search & rescue in an industrial setting or building complex, and so on.

(left To right) Dwight Kashuba (co-coach), Tracy Gaudry, Mark Campbell (vice captain), Dennis Wilson (co-coach), Sheldon Leuschen (captain), Lloyd Rowson, Craig Cowper and Grant Harrison. The winning team.

The first aid competition run by St. John’s Ambulance challenges teams with real life scenarios. In the fire fighting segment, team members are tested on everything from handling the equipment to extinguishing the fire. In the practical skills test, the team is judged on their ability to effectively deploy equipment, such as extrication tools at a vehicle accident or protective gear in a hazardous environment.

It makes for an intensive day of competition, and team members train hard in preparation. “ERT training is year-round, but it intensifies in the spring. We train two days a week through April and May, and we go over all the equipment, the procedures, everything,” Sheldon Leuschen says.

The six members of the competition team are selected every fall from among the 26-member ERT, whose members are selected from across the McClean Lake site. Despite the long hours, there’s never a shortage of volunteers. Generally, two new members are added each year. This way, the team is constantly refreshing itself, yet there are always veterans to share experience and knowledge with newcomers.

The annual SMA Mine Rescue Competition is good for team spirit, but it is also a place for team members to hone their skills and learn about new techniques and best practices. This is important, particularly if AREVA operations go underground in the future.

“It’s a constantly changing industry,” Wilson says. “The more mines and more sites that open, the more people we’ll need on the ERT to ensure competent crews are available to handle any situation that arises.”