MANSFIELD RESCUE STATION
Before 1906, rescue work was left to volunteers from the colliery at which the disaster occurred, led by mining engineers from neighbouring collieries. A Royal Commission appointed in that year recommended that Central Rescue Stations manned by full time brigades should be provided in every coalfield by the owners, and that each colliery should also have part time rescue brigades of trained men. This became law in 1912. One of the first central rescue stations was at Mansfield Woodhouse. This was maintained by a company in which all the local coal owners had shares. Later, after nationalisation, it was taken over by the N.C.B., like all similar stations.
The Mines Rescue Service is now a Limited Company and any profits made are ploughed back into the Service. Funding is received from Colliery owners who contribute so much per tonne of coal produced, but is supplemented by providing training courses to companies and private individuals, fire extinguisher maintenance and the hire of safety equipment. For more information on what they could provide for you or your company please visit their website www.minesrescue.com.
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Mines Rescue Station, Yorke Street, Mansfield 1909. |
The current Mines Rescue Station on Leeming Lane South was brought into service in 1959, prior to that it was based on Yorke Street. It is classed as an "A" Scheme Station within the Service, there are 3 "A" Scheme Stations and 3 "B" Scheme Stations. Out of the 6 Stations, Mansfield is the only one that is manned 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, all others are manned on a "Day-Manned" basis (8am 'til 4pm Monday to Friday and 8am 'til 12pm at weekends). In the event of an "out of hours" emergency the Watchman at Mansfield will inform the Duty Officer from the relevant station of the nature & address of the incident and will also alert the Duty Crew. The Watchman will then mobilise the next nearest station, as 2 stations are always sent to an emergency.
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Mines Rescue Station, Leeming Lane South, Mansfield 2003. |
The 5 Brigadesmen who are the Duty Crew and the Duty Officer will report to their Station and respond to the emergency with 2 vehicles. At Mansfield this would be Number 1 and the Personnel Carrier. Number 1 carries all the equipment required to set up a Rescue Station at the scene and to effect a rescue. Two teams of 5 fully equipped and trained men are always sent to an emergency and must reach any incident within 60 minutes of receiving a call, as stipulated in The Escape and Rescue from Mines Regulations 1995.
The Station at Mansfield is on 1st call to 6 Collieries in the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire/South Yorkshire area, these being:-
Clipstone (Notts) (no longer producing)
Thoresby (Notts)
Harworth (Notts)
Welbeck (Notts)
Rossington (S.Yorks)
Eckington (Derbyshire)
They also provide rescue cover for Middleton Limestone Mine.
Each Colliery has its own part-time Brigadesmen on each shift. Although some of the Collieries have rescue equipment on site, but the majority is brought to the incident by the Permanent Brigadesmen from the Mines Rescue Station.
In the event of an incident in the Mansfield station area requiring backup either Selby (North Yorkshire) or Ashby (Leicestershire) Stations would provide this, dependent on the location. They are also 2nd call to Daw Mill Colliery, near Arley in Warwickshire, Britain's biggest single mine, Ashby Station being 1st call.
Mansfield has 14 Rescue Brigadesmen, 1 Sub Officer, 1 Training Officer, 1 Deputy Manager (Assistant Superintendent) and a Station Manager (Superintendent). There is a maximum of 14 Brigadesmen per shift down to a minimum of 5 operating on an 14 week shift pattern. There are also 5 men kept on standby in the evenings during the week, increasing to 6 at weekends as the Watchmen do not work weekends.
To become a Brigadesman, a person would have to have spent at least 2 years working as a Miner before attending a stringent medical and an external selection panel. Following appointment, they then undertake a 3 week basic training course in Mines Rescue and First Aid before becoming a Junior Brigadesman. Promotion is gained by experience and by taking the Rescue Officers Examination, controlled by the Institute of Mining Engineers.
