SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— Scranton firefighters took their training underground Thursday, literally, at the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour in McDade Park to prepare for the unexpected.
The drill focused on safely rescuing visitors if the mine car breaks down or there's a medical emergency.
That concern became real in 2024 when a tour group had to be hoisted out after a mechanical failure.
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Crews from Taylor, Moosic, and Avoca also joined the training, which included testing radio communications deep inside the mine and practicing how to use the mine's emergency capsule as a backup evacuation method.
"Should there be like a power failure or anything to evacuate anybody that's on a coal mine tour, and what type of equipment they have down there, and what type of equipment or resources they would need, should there be an incident to safely evacuate anybody that may fall ill out of the mine," explained Captain Carl Megotz, Scranton Fire Department.
Firefighters also reviewed the layout, escape routes, and coordination with mutual aid partners to ensure they're ready if the unthinkable happens underground.
