Vale mine rescue team heading to international competition

Up North6:24Vale mine rescue team heading overseas

Vale's East Mines Rescue team is going to Poland to compete in the 9th annual International Mine Rescue Competition.

Vales East Mines Rescue team is getting ready to head overseas for a competition.

The team is heading to Katowice, Poland, to compete in the 9th International Mine Rescue Competition.

The group consists of nine current Vale employees, all based in Sudbury.

This is the first time internationally for any one of us thats on the team, Captain Lorne Plouffe said.

Its such a great honour to go represent Sudbury, Vale, and Canada as a whole to go over there and compete for the world internationals.

Plouffe, who has been involved with Ontario Mine Rescue for 18 years, got into it after being influenced by his father who was also involved in mine rescue.

In June, the team was named the top group in the province after winning the Provincial Mine Rescue Competition as well as the First Aid Award.

Plouffe said competition at an international level is different than provincially.

I think with the training that weve done, were going to do well for what we know, he said.

Its a total different ball game over there [as] they have different rules and regulations.

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Twenty-three teams from more than twenty countries will be in Poland for the competition, and Plouffe said his team is looking forward to speaking with them.

We get to sit with teams from around the world and discuss how they approach different scenarios, and theyll ask us the same questions, he said.

So the training of knowledge is going to be a great advantage to all of us.

Officials with the company are pleased one of their teams is competing at the world level.

I could not be more proud of these world-class individuals and wish them all the very best as they compete on an international stage, Kelly Strong, Vice President of Vales Ontario and UK Operations said.