Mines Rescue training

Today presented an opportunity to visit the Mines Rescue Station in Evander, one of three is South Africa. This is where volunteer teams from each of the mines in the district train for typical emergency senarios encountered in Mines. The service has a long and proud history in serving the mines in South Africa and are colloquially refered to as the "Proto" team, a reference to the early breathing equipment that was labelled as a prototype. The name however stuck and is widely use through the country's mines. During the visit I observed two teams completing their quarterly training which today focussed on work load management. The pactical session involved each team member completing the set course and tasks within the simulated mine whilst having their heart rate monitored in real time. The objective was to complete the tasks/course as fast as possible, whilst minimising air comsumption and keeping the heart rate at safe level. All I can say is that experience and fitness pays off.