Kentucky Employers’ Mutual Insurance (KEMI), the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the Kentucky Office of Mine Safety and Licensing have announced the winners of the KEMI Mine Safety and Training Competition at Bob Amos Park in Pikeville this week.

This event featured two days of Mine Rescue competition as well as Pre-Shift, Bench and MET/First-Aid.

Pre-Shift Mine Examiner Competition involves a certified mine foreman that will perform a pre-shift examination on a field set up to resemble an underground mine. Each contestant will conduct a pre-shift exam checking all areas of the mine where employees will be working. The mine foreman is responsible for recording and correcting all hazardous conditions found in the mine. Contestants earned points for each condition found and corrected in the areas examined.

Pre-shift

Gold Division

First place, Mike Vaught, Southern W.Va, Massey Energy, second place, David Dennis, Highland No. 9, Patriot Coal, third place, Chris Williams, MCC Team, Kentucky Coal Academy, fourth place, Wes Lovell, Bluegrass Mine Rescue, Patriot Coal.

Silver Division

First place, Willie Adams, Cumberland River Coal, second place, Jarett Vancleve, MCC Team, Kentucky Coal Academy, third place, Joe Miniard, Manalapan Mining, fourth place, Duane Thaxton, Southern W.Va. Massey Energy.

Mine Rescue Competition measures a mine rescue team’s ability to work through a simulated underground mine disaster.

Mine Rescue

Day One,

Gold Division

First place, Jody Greenwell, Highland No. 9, Patriot Coal, second place, Doug Wade, Blacksville Mine No. 2 Consol Energy, third place, Jeff Roberts, Blue Team, James River Coal, fourth place, Terry Monroe, Willow Lake Mine, Peabody Energy.

Silver Division

First place, Jeremy Webb, Cumberland River Coal, second place, Scott Dunn, Harlan Development, third place, Phillip Conley, Boothe Energy, fourth place, Curt Wagner, Left Fork Mining.

Mine Rescue,

Day Two, Gold Division

First place, Doug Wade, Blacksville Mine No.2, Consol Energy, second place, J.P. Richardson, Red Team, Jewell Smokeless, third place, Jody Greenwell, Highland No. 9, Patriot Coal, fourth place, Don Walker, Blue Team, Black Mountain Resources.

Silver Division

First place, Scott Dunn, Harlan Development, second place, Don Barger, Blue Team, TECO, third place, Phillip Conley, Boothe Energy, fourth place, Andy Fields, Sapphire Coal Company,

Mine Rescue, Day TwoFirst place, Rocky Moore, Gray Team, TECO, second place, Scott Hannig, Jim Walter Resources, third place, David Self, Bluegrass Mine Rescue, Patriot Coal.

Mine Rescue Out of State Winner - Blacksville Mine No. 2, Consol Energy.

Mine Emergency Technician (MET) / First-Aid Team Competition consists of a scenario of an accident is set up and the Mine Emergency Technicians (METs) will respond by giving the appropriate first aid care for the injuries at hand. Contestants earn points for each injury properly handled.

MET

First Aid, Gold Division

First place, Tom Dorsett, Jim Walter Resources, second place, Blue Team, Ernie Miller TECO, third place, Matt Owens East Kentucky Rescue A, Massey Energy.

Silver Division

First place, Tommy Witherspoon, Highland #9Patriot Coal, second place, Shawn Daniels, Bluegrass Mine Rescue, Patriot Coal, third place, Ben Ritchie, Five Star Mining, fourth place Jason Knight, Kentucky Coal Academy, MCC Team,

Bench Competition evaluates a benchman’s ability to properly clean and test breathing apparatus that is used during mine rescue work. The objective of this event is to locate (and correct, if possible) any problems with breathing apparatus as quickly as possible.

Bench BG4 -

First place, Gold Division

Chris Prater, East Kentucky Mine Rescue A Team, Massey Energy, second place, Greg Brashears, Lone Mountain Processing, Arch Coal, third place, Tim Turner, Blue Team, Black Mountain Resources, fourth place, Steve Miller, East Kentucky Mine Rescue A Team, Massey Energy.

Silver Division - Tim Turner Blue Team, Black Mountain Resources.

Bench 240S -

Gold Division,

First place

Dwight Baker, Bluegrass Mine Rescue, Patriot Coal, second place, Scott Milligan Highland No. 9, Patriot Coal, third place, Mark Lloyd Bluegrass Mine Rescue, Patriot Coal, fourth place, Josh Gibson, Highland No. 9 Patriot Coal.

Silver Division, Josh Gibson, Highland No. 9, Patriot Coal.

Bench 240R -Gold Division

First place, Greg Garrison, Five Star Mine Rescue, Five Star Mining, second place, Patrick Gomez, MCC Team Kentucky Coal Academy, third place, Keith Whitehouse, MCC Team Kentucky Coal Academy, fourth place, Shane Meadows Five Star Mine Rescue, Five Star Mining.

Silver Division - Greg Garrison, Five Star Mine Rescue, Five Star Mining.

Overall Bench Biopak Winners

Gold Division-

Dwight Baker, Bluegrass Mine Rescue, Patriot Coal,

Silver Division -

Greg Garrison, Five Star Mine Rescue, Five Star Mining.