National Mine Rescue Association - Post 7

05/29/2026

05/28/2026

This Sunday, volunteer mine rescue teams from across Kentucky gather at Central Bank Center in Lexington for the State Mine Rescue Competition — six days of timed drills, first-aid events, and underground scenarios, May 31 through June 5. These are the highly trained men and women who stand ready to help their fellow miners and keep our communities safe. If you're near Lexington, stop in and cheer your county's team.

05/20/2026

Volunteer mine rescue teams from across Kentucky head to Central Bank Center in Lexington May 31 through June 5 for the State Mine Rescue Competition — six days of timed drills, technical events, and scenario response. These are the men and women called to an emergency before the rest of us even know one has happened. Cheer your local team this June 5.

05/14/2026

Congratulations to our Alpha mine rescue teams, Southern West Virginia and Paramont Contura, who competed in the 2026 MCPA Governor's Cup - NMRA Post 7 - Overmountain Mine Rescue Contest on May 4-7 in Abingdon, VA! We’re proud of the continued focus these teams place on training, preparedness, and safety excellence.

Southern West Virginia Team:
Overall Grand Champions
•1st place

Mine Rescue Day 1
•3rd place

Mine Rescue Day 2
•1st place

Combination (First Aid and Mine Rescue)
•1st place

Pre-Shift
•2nd place – James Thomas
•3rd place – Josh Vereen

First Aid
•1st place – Adam Sipes, Dave Green, and Brian Jarrell

Bench Proair
•2nd place – Jonah Caudill
•3rd place – Chris Estep

Members of the Southern West Virginia team:
Left to right: Chris Estep, Brian Jarrell, Grayson Cox, Seth Porter, Eric Varney, Jim Aurednik, Adam Sipes, Josh Vereen, Mike Webb, Jonah Caudill, James Thomas, Josh Cochran, Dave Green

Paramont Team:
Mine Rescue Day 1
•1st place

Team Tech
•1st place – Robbie Middleton and Joey Sykes

Pre-Shift
•1st place – Joey Sykes

Bench BG4
•3rd place – Robbie Middleton
•2nd place – Casey Mooneyhan

Bench ProAir
•1st place – Casey Mooneyhan

Members of the Paramont team:
Top row, left to right: Franklin Moore, Adam Phillips, Joey Sykes, Casey Mooneyhan, Eric Collins, Robby Middleton,
Front row, left to right: Brad Hawkins, Brian Keith

05/14/2026

05/08/2026

2026 National Mine Rescue Association Virginia Post 7 - Overmountain and Metallurgical Coal Producers Association - Governor's Cup Mine Rescue Contest and Safety - RESULTS

Team Tech
3rd - Iron Synergy - Justin Brady/Gary Valusek
2nd - Alpha Southern WV - Josh Vereen/Mike Webb
1st - Alpha Paramont - Robby Middleton/Joey Sykes

Pre-Shift
3rd - Iron Synergy - Chris Lewis
2nd - Alpha Southern WV - James Thomas
1st - Alpha Paramont - Joey Sykes

First Aid
3rd - Buchanan Red - Mitch Bostwick/Wayne Tolliver/Josh Dales
2nd - Iron Synergy - Chris Harvey/Chris Hartman/Adam Robbins
1st - Alpha Southern WV - Adam Sipes/Brian Jarell/Dave Green

Bench - BG4
3rd - Alpha Paramont - Robby Middleton
2nd - Alpha Paramont - Casey Mooneyhan
1st - Iron Synergy - Gary Valusek

Bench - Pro Air
3rd - Alpha Southern WV - Chris Estep
2nd - Alpha Southern WV - Jonah Caudill
1st - Alpha Paramont - Casey Mooneyhan

Bench - Bio
3rd - Knight Hawk - Ross Coleman
2nd - Knight Hawk - Justin Pelker
1st - Knight Hawk - Davey Norman

Combination
3rd - Iron Synergy
2nd - Buchanan Red
1st - Alpha Southern WV

Mine Rescue Day 1 - 3rd - Alpha Southern WV
Mine Rescue Day 2 - 3rd - Coronado Black
Mine Rescue Overall - 3rd - Iron Synergy

Mine Rescue Day 1 - 2nd - Coronado Red
Mine Rescue Day 2 - 2nd - Iron Synergy
Mine Rescue Overall - 2nd - Coronado Red

Mine Rescue Day 1 - 1st - Alpha Paramont
Mine Rescue Day 2 - 1st - Alpha Southern WV
Mine Rescue Overall - 1st - Alpha Southern WV

Send a message to learn more

05/07/2026

"The History of the National Mine Rescue Association 1924-2025" can be purchased for $20.00, with shipping covered by NMRA.

Please refer to the contact information below.

05/07/2026

“On Oct. 30, 1911, the first national mine rescue demonstration was held in the U.S. It was organized by Dr. Joseph A. Holmes, who in 1910 was appointed as the first director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines by President William Howard Taft. Holmes and Taft attended the inaugural event at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2013, Oct. 30 was designated as National Mine Rescue Day.

Throughout our nation’s history, members of the mining community have been called upon to rescue their fellow miners from emergency situations in coal and metal and nonmetal mines, whether trapped by fires, explosions, roof falls, flooding or harmful gases. Over time, these mine rescuers have become better trained and organized, and the equipment they use has become more sophisticated.

Today, over 250 mine rescue teams are currently certified and equipped to perform mine rescue operations in the United States. They train and compete in mine rescue contests nationwide, culminating in national championships for coal and for metal and nonmetal mines, so they are ready to answer the call that they hope never comes. When they are called, these rescuers do not hesitate. They undertake some of the most difficult and risky emergency response work in this country, sometimes traveling miles in dark underground mines filled with debris and poisonous and explosive gases to find missing miners or recover those who did not survive.”

Read more on the history of Mine Rescue Teams: https://blog.dol.gov/2022/10/26/mine-rescue-teams-are-critical-to-mshas-mission

*Photo: U.S Department of Labor Blog

05/07/2026

I'm excited to share some photos from our mine rescue trailers at our contest in Abingdon this week. Today's skills event and this afternoon's banquet promise to be thrilling. We'll post more pictures and share the results tomorrow.