A team from Glencore Kidd Operations claimed first place in the 2025 Ontario Mine Rescue provincial competition, emerging as the top team among eight regional contenders. Hosted at the Kidd mine site in Timmins from June 3 to 5, the annual event challenged mine rescue teams with a series of hands-on emergency scenarios and a theory test.  

Participants were required to demonstrate their expertise in areas such as firefighting, first aid and the use of specialized rescue equipment—all within tight time limits that mirrored the pressure and urgency of real-life mine emergencies. 

The runner-up for this year’s competition was the Glencore Sudbury INO team. 

In addition to the championship trophy, five awards were presented to various teams in recognition of their performance in specific challenges, including the Team Firefighting Award and the Team Theory Exam Award. 

Each team consists of five to six members who go underground, along with a briefing officer who oversees the situation, provides critical information and directs the team on what equipment to bring and where to go. 

This year’s event required teams to respond to a simulated vehicle collision and underground fire. Upon reaching the scene, participants assisted an injured supervisor to the surface, then turned their attention to extinguishing a vehicle fire and safely freeing a pinned worker. After escorting the worker to safety, teams were informed of a second casualty—an unconscious individual trapped inside a transmixer tank. Responders were tasked with using specialized breathing equipment and rescue packaging to stabilize and extract the casualty from the confined space.  

The exercise concluded with teams working in coordination with a control group and a secondary response unit to monitor and clear the area of hazardous gases. During the exercise, responders were also responsible for servicing life-saving equipment, such as a CAREvent auto resuscitator device and BG 4 plus closed-circuit breathing apparatus unit. 

The Glencore Kidd team will represent Ontario at the International Mine Rescue Competition in Zambia in April 2026, showcasing the province’s top mine rescue talent on a global stage. The team last won the provincial competition in 2013. 

“We were given about seven weeks of training on surface where we were able to work on different techniques and scenarios, [such as] for firefighting and first aid,” said Clint Scripnick, captain of the Glencore Kidd team, in an interview with CIM Magazine. “The training that we get is really amazing, which we can use at work and outside of work, especially the first aid aspect of it.”  

He added that a significant portion of the competition includes preparing for a written exam consisting of 20 questions, covering a range of topics from Workplace Safety North’s Ontario Mine Rescue handbook—such as identifying various hazardous gases and understanding the limitations of specialized equipment. 

Regarding the most challenging aspect of the competition, Scripnick explained that while every mine rescue scenario includes unexpected twists, the Glencore Kidd team did not anticipate having to enter such a confined space during the vehicle collision event.  

The team’s collaboration proved to be crucial, with Scripnick noting that “we all had each other’s backs in every situation, and everyone was ready to put in hard work for the team.”  

Held annually since 1950, the Ontario Mine Rescue competitions are organized by Workplace Safety North under the authority of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. To learn more about the competitions and to see the winning teams from previous years, visit workplacesafetynorth.ca/minerescue.