Page 60 benefts from Digital T echnology Mine Rescue T raining Page 58 T raining is a vital component of mine rescue The more realistic the training the better prepared mine rescuers will be when responding to an actual emergency In this respect Ontario Mine Rescue through its requir ed training courses and Mine Rescue Competitions provide sound instruction to mine rescue team members The use of computer driven simulation of an underground rescue has added a new dimension to mine rescue trainin g One such hightech computer simulator was created by NORCA T and Ontario Mine Rescue in 2016 Ferdeno is an avatarbased simulation that ofers a new approach to mine training and development Users view various mine rescue emergencies and are asked to make choices to successfully carry out the mission The program allows up to 5 mine rescuers to view emergency scenario s and they get to select the right gear and make the choices on how to carry out the rescue explains Ed Wisniewski from NORCA T s IT Department The simulated mine rescue program is in a computer format and is like a Playstation game with a joy stick that enables the user to make selections says Wisniewski Norcat developed a Mine Rescue simulation game where team members communicate through the simulation much as a mine rescue team would not a replacement but a supplement to real training says T ed Hanley V icePresident of Ontario Mine Rescue NORCA T and Ontario Mine Rescue are working on additional training technology though Wisniewski cant talk about the specifcs just yet An announcement will be made in SeptemberOctober and the new technology unveiled at that time W ere thrilled to be a part of this project says Hanle y General Manager of Ontario Mine Rescue Our goal was to make the Ontario Mine Rescue experience as realistic as possible So we used our expertise to develop the underground mine emergency storyline s The combinations of scenarios are limitless and we welcomed the challenge For information about Ferdeno please visit www httpwww ferdenocom By Frank Giorno