Contests across the nation got underway last month following a four-day mine rescue, first aid, bench and preshift rules training event at the National Mine Safety Academy in Beaver, West Virginia. That was followed just days later by the KCA regional contest April 11 in Kentucky and the MTTC regional event in Pennsylvania the following week.

With April’s schedule complete, next on the schedule is the Smokeaters Post 2 Bench (BG-4 and BioPak) competition in Lexington Kentucky May 10 and 11, and next week will begin with the State of Alabama’s two-day mine rescue, first aid, bench and preshift contest May 14-16 in Suminton 4.

Teams will converge on Bluefield, West Virginia the following week for the Welch Post 1 mine rescue competition May 18 at Bluefield State College, then many will travel just up the road to Beckley May 20-24 for the West Virginia Mine Rescue Skills Competition.

Closing out the month of May: the Western Kentucky Mining Institute Safety Days Mine Rescue, First Aid, Bench and Preshift event, set for May 22- 23 in Madisonville, Kentucky.

June

US teams will take the national Memorial Day holiday off before getting back into gear for the Virginia Governor’s Cup contest in Cedar Bluff, Virginia on June 7, which will kick off just hours after the wrap-up of the Indiana State Mine Rescue, Bench and Preshift competition in Vincennes June 5 and 6.

Two other events are scheduled for the same period as the Vincennes contest, the first being the Rock Mountain Association Mine rescue, First Aid, Bench and Preshift contest June 4-6 in Price, Utah. The Ohio Valley Post 6 Mine Rescue Contest is also set for June 4-6 at the Mining Training Center in Cadiz, Ohio.

The Southeastern Illinois College Mine Rescue Skills Competition, which includes mine rescue, first aid, bench, smoke and firefighting, will be held June 11 and 12 in Harrisburg, Illinois, and the Kentucky River competition, which features two days of mine rescue followed by first aid, bench and preshift, will be held June 18-20 in Hazard, Kentucky.

Wrapping up the month will be the State of Ohio Mine Safety Days Contest in Cadiz June 19.

July

Three large events are on the schedule for July, the first well after the Independence Day holiday in Pikeville, Kentucky – the Hatfield and McCoy Mine Safety Competition. Formerly known as the KEMI contest, teams will show their best work July 16-18.

From July 16-18 in Craig, Colorado, western coalfields teams will battle it out at the Colorado Coal Association contest, which is set to include mine rescue as well as first aid, bench and pre-shift sessions.

Closing out the month will be the Harlan County Safety Day competition at the Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College in Cumberland July 23-25.

August

Activity ramps up again with the dog days of summer in August, beginning with the Virginia Mining Institute’s Safety Day in Blacksburg, Virginia, from August 6-8. Teams will have two days of mine rescue problems along with first aid, bench and preshift modules.

The popular NMRA Post 5 event will follow August 13-15 in Morgantown, West Virginia. It two includes two days of mine rescue along with the other vital contests.

Just north of Morgantown in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania, crews will take on mine rescue problems at the Pennsylvania State contest August 21-22, just days after the one-day Illinois State competition winds up in Marion on August 14.

Mine rescue scenarios as well as bench, preshift and MET contests will be part of the Kentucky State Days and Kentucky Mining Institute event, set for August 21-23 in Lexington.

Wrapping up August’s hectic schedule is the Southern West Virginia Mine Rescue Association contest, scheduled for August 26-29 in Beckley and including two days of mine rescue with two individual problems to solve as well as bench, first aid and preshift .

The 2013 season will come to a close with the contest of them all, the National Mine Rescue, First Aid, Bench and Preshift Competition set once again for September 9-12 in Columbus, Ohio.

Keep checking ILN for coverage and results from these events.