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Emergency response personnel from three Northwest Territories diamond mines put their skills to the test during a mutual aid exercise hosted at Gahcho Kué mine.

Gahcho Kué, Ekati and Diavik mines have a mutual aid agreement that can be triggered in the event an emergency at one of the sites requires additional personnel. Drills are held regularly to help familiarize emergency personnel with each of the sites and enhance their ability to work together. The last mutual aid exercise at Gahcho Kué was in 2019 and similar events have been held at Ekati in 2018 and 2022 and at Diavik in 2021.

This year’s exercise was built around a simulated dyke breach and a resulting rush of water that triggered a fall of rock, trapping geotechnical personnel in one of the pits. The exercise concluded with a fire staged at the mine’s emergency response training ground.

Teams were aware the exercise was being held, but had no details about the nature of the emergency.

The combined emergency response teams included personnel from Gahcho Kué’s Emergency Response Team and counterparts from Ekati and Diavik mines who travelled to Gahcho Kué for the day. The emergency responders had to set up rope rescue equipment to descend a rock wall to two different levels of the pit to find the victims, provide first aid then remove them to safety. A special effects makeup artist used her skills to make injuries, including cuts and broken bones, look realistic.

For the firefighting portion of the exercise, part of a scrapped portable building was set ablaze.

The mine pumper truck and a portable water reservoir were set up to supply water for three hose lines used by the teams to douse the fire.

The exercise included establishment of an emergency command centre by the mine management team and callup of the De Beers Canada crisis communications team in Calgary. In addition, the site medic team set up a mass casualty centre in the mine’s accommodation reception area.

Emergency response and first aid experts were on hand to observe the exercise and provide feedback to the teams. The NWT Chief Mine Inspector and personnel from the RCMP also observed.

By all accounts, despite gusty wind and some rain, the exercise went well and gave participants new insights into working together.

CLICK HERE to watch a short video about the event.