Mining Emergency Response Competition (MERC)

Drone Inspections WA will be at this years MERC competition in association with Pilbara Access and PWR. We will be catching some of the action from the air while the events are taking place down below. DIWA will also be showcasing some of the new drone technology and equipment on the day.

This free family event showcases Emergency Response teams from WA resource industry companies, demonstrating their skills under pressure across a range of emergency scenarios. It is on this weekend over two days, Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th November 2018. There are 15 teams in total registered, and with over 40 sponsors, this year's event is the 8th annual Mining Emergency Response Competition which looks to be the biggest yet.

With such remoteness of many of the mine's site locations, the mine's rescue personnel play such an important role in protecting our community. Along with state emergency services, the rescue teams often attend emergencies outside the mine perimeter to assist the local community in situations such as road accidents, medical emergencies, fires, floods and much more. This is an extremely important role as quite often these volunteers are the first on scene and can be pivotal to the outcome of an emergency situation. Many emergency response team (ERT) members are also volunteer fire fighters or SES members within their local communities.

Witness disciplines being tested like: First Aid, Firefighting, Road Crash Rescue, Hazardous Materials Response, Confined Space, Rope Rescue,

Emergency Response Team Readiness During the weekend both teams and the spectators are encouraged to get involved in a series of hands-on skills sessions involving the latest in rescue techniques and technology. There are also loads of fun things for the kids to do including a range of free activities such as • rock climbing, • face painting, • bouncy castle, • coloring in comp, • a chance to get up close to underground mining machinery. The Teenager volunteer bush fire brigade cadets will also be coming down to do a demonstration of their skill for you all to see. MERC encourages the community to come and support the wonderful work our emergency response volunteers do to protect and keep safe, the lives of others. MERC is a not for profit organisation with the aim of providing a world-class, safe and sustainable, industry event that is focused on fostering valuable networks and building professional and personal life skills. Where: Langley Park Grounds – City of Perth When: Saturday 25 November & Sunday 26 November 2018 Cost: Free