National Mine Rescue Association - Post 7

10/15/2026

We have a date!

The 2027 Harlan County Safety Days Mine Rescue Competition will be held on July 13-15.

09/15/2026

Dates are locked in the for 2027... looking forward to it!

09/14/2026

09/14/2026

Congratulations.

We’re proud to share the state-level results for our Alpha mine rescue teams following the 2026 National Mine Rescue Contest at the end of August.

Congratulations to our Southern West Virginia and Paramont Contura teams on their outstanding state-level achievements!

Southern West Virginia Team:
Mine Rescue Overall
•1st place in WV

Mine Rescue Day 1
•1st place in WV

Mine Rescue Day 2
•1st place in WV

Combination (Mine Rescue & First Aid)
•1st place in WV

Preshift
•1st place in WV – James Thomas

Team Tech
•1st place in WV – Josh Vereen and Mike Webb

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

Paramont Contura Team:
Mine Rescue Overall
•1st place in VA

Mine Rescue Day 1
•1st place in VA

Mine Rescue Day 2
•1st place in VA

Combination (Mine Rescue & First Aid)
•1st place in VA – Adam Phillips and Eric Collins

First aid
•1st place in VA – Eric Collins, Brian Keith, and Franklin Moore

Preshift
•1st place in VA – Adam Phillips

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

BG4 Pro-Air
•1st place in VA – Casey Mooneyhan

Members of the Paramont Contura team:
Back row, left to right: Justin Worley, Eric Collins, Robby Middleton, Casey Mooneyhan, Adam Phillips, Franklin Moore, Joey Sykes and David Dillon.
Front row, left to right: Brad Hawkins and Brian Keith.

09/03/2026

We are proud to celebrate Kent Armstrong, Dräger's Global Business Development Manager, on his induction into the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association’s 2026 Mine Rescue Hall of Fame. 🏆

Kent is the first person to receive Hall of Fame recognition in both the Coal and Metal/Nonmetal categories, reflecting more than 30 years of dedicated service to mine rescue, emergency preparedness, training, and miner health and safety.

Throughout his career, Kent has shared his expertise and experience, mentoring and supporting generations of mine rescue professionals and helping strengthen the mine rescue community.

Congratulations, Kent! Thank you for your outstanding contributions not only at Dräger, but to mine rescue and miner safety around the world! 👏💙

08/29/2026

Congratulations.

Congratulations to our Alpha mine rescue teams, Paramont Contura and Southern West Virginia, on their outstanding achievements at the 2026 National Mine Rescue Contest held August 24-27 in Sevierville, TN. We are so proud of both teams for their unwavering commitment to mine safety, preparation and teamwork every day of the year.

Paramont Contura Team:
Overall Mine Rescue
•National Champion – Paramont Contura

Day 1 Mine Rescue
•1st place

Day 2 Mine Rescue
•2nd place

Members of the Paramont Contura team:
Back row, left to right: Justin Worley, Eric Collins, Robby Middleton, Casey Mooneyhan, Adam Phillips, Franklin Moore, Joey Sykes and David Dillon
Front row, left to right: Brad Hawkins and Brian Keith

Southern West Virginia Team:
Day 2 Mine Rescue
•1st place

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