Welcome to the November 2023 edition of CORESafety TV — the online video program from the National Mining Association. 

It’s not often that you get to hear the real life story of an MSHA Coal Mine Rescue Hall of Fame member. Someone who’s been involved with highly-organized rescue teams for most of his or her adult life.

But in this Part One of a two-part episode, CORESafety TV brings you not one, but FIVE Hall of Fame members, each with decades of mine rescue experience.

In this rare group panel discussion facilitated by Paul Krivokuca, NMA’s Vice President of Health and Safety, you’ll hear how these brave miners decided to volunteer for mine rescue teams and what it’s meant to them both 
personally and professionally.

MSHA established the Mine Rescue Hall of Fame to honor individuals who stand out as exceptional in the field of mine rescue through their accomplishments and commitments.

How did the concept of mine rescue evolve in the first place?

After a series of tragic mine disasters in the early 1900s, the U.S. Bureau of Mines, MSHA’s predecessor agency, recognized the need for a trained and organized group of miners equipped to perform rescue operations. Through this need was born the network of volunteer mine rescue personnel that remains active and available today. 

American miners, both men and women, work together with the knowledge that should an emergency arise, a well-organized, trained, and equipped group of mine rescue experts will be available to respond. 

To learn more about CORESafety, go here to visit our website.