CFA’s Oscar 1 technical rescue team has taken out the Rope Rescue Challenge at the Victorian Mine Rescue Competition (VMRC) held at Bendigo’s Kirkland Lake Gold’s Fosterville Mine from 12 to 14 October.
Oscar 1 takes out the rope rescue challenge at the VMRC. Photo courtesy ISH24
Established in 1993 by the Minerals Council of Australia, the event sees mine rescue and emergency response teams from mine sites across Australia compete against each other in a variety of simulated emergency situations to put their skills to the test, and share their extensive knowledge with each other.
The teams competed in a range of events as part of this year’s competition including Skills, Firefighting, First Aid, Rope Rescue, Theory, and Search and Rescue. The captains of each team and team safety are also assessed across all activities. Fosterville Gold Mine took out three challenge categories to win the event overall.
Oscar 1 took out the Rope Rescue challenge which involved using ropes to move one team member to the top of a six-storey building, before using various techniques - including hauling from their truck rather than the building - to move that person successfully from the top to a one by one metre square on the ground.
Oscar 1 member and working from heights vertical trainer Jessica Pearse joined the team 11 months ago after watching previous rescue challenges and deciding she wanted to use her skills to give back to her community.
She said the challenge was a great way to get hands-on experience as a team.
"It was an amazing experience!" Jessica said.
"Each scenario is as close to a real-life rescue as we can get.
The casualties behave like real casualties - we can't replicate that in our training."
Oscar 1 became a CFA Brigade in May 2013 after its formation as a rescue team in 1999. The team is the only volunteer mine rescue team in Australia and the only CFA brigade with underground mine rescue capability.
Based in Bendigo, the team of volunteers is skilled in open and closed-circuit breathing apparatus, underground search and rescue, vertical and high-angle rescue, grain engulfment rescue, and confined space rescue.
Photos courtesy ISH24, Mine Rescue Challenge, and Imagine Pictures
Further reading: Beware of the unknown when working near old mine shafts