Teams from Vale Manitoba, Hudbay and Tanco will test their skills in the 61st Manitoba Mine Rescue Competition May 24th and 25th in Lac du Bonnet.

These teams are the best of the best, according to Richard Trudeau, the co-chair of the competition’s organizing committee.

“There are six, highly skilled individuals on each team. There is a director of operations, he directs the team from a control centre, he provides the captain of the team who has his team underground, there is a vice captain that takes over duties of the captain as required. Then the team members who are responsible for thinks like demolition, gas monitoring and first aid.”

He said the competition is about safety and skill competency that the team members use during the event, but are trained to use during any emergency situation in their daily work.

A Mutual Aid team composed of two members from each mining operation also takes part in the competition.

Trudeau added that the Mutual Aid team is an example of what would happen if a real-life emergency were to occur in any of Manitoba’s mining operations.

For more on the competition, catch Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 this afternoon.