Mine Rescue Day celebrates those members of the community who stay ready for an emergency through participation in training that keeps them in top shape for making sure everyone is located, rescued and recovered safely. 

 

It is not something you hear about in Louisiana often. 

 

I’d heard of mine disasters, including the 69-day rescue of 33 workers in a copper mine in Chile in 2010, but didn’t understand the full impact until the first season of Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart in 2014. It became more than just a fictionalized series. For the first time, I realized the lives of miners and their families. 

 

 

In 2013, Mine Rescue Day was established by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). The purpose of the day is to recognize and show appreciation for the sacrifice and dedication that is regularly made by the volunteers who put their own lives at risk in order to save the lives of others who work in the mines. 

 

The date of October 30 was chosen in honor of the first mine rescue demonstration that took place in 1911 in Pittsburgh under the direction of the first director of the US Bureau of Mines.

 

According to the CDC and other official .gov websites, there were 12,714 active mines in the country in 2020. The three states with the highest mining production and value are Nevada, Alaska, and Colorado.

 

While technological advances, safety regulations, and health research has made mining safer than it used to be, it is still a hazardous industry.

 

Various types of dangerous situations can occur when people are working in the mines, whether coal, metal, or nonmetal mines. Mine workers can be trapped inside the mines in a number of ways, including fire, harmful gasses, flooding, roof falling, and explosions. 

 

When such disasters happen, trained local community members are called upon to perform rescue services. Today, over 250 mine rescue teams in the US are equipped and certified to perform mine rescues. And Mine Rescue Day is a great time to celebrate them!