Scranton firefighters spent part of Tuesday at the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour in McDade Park training to extricate mine visitors in the event of an emergency. The training comes almost a year after more than 50 people were rescued from the mine attraction last June, when piece of plastic snapped off a relay switch and jammed, preventing the completion of an electrical circuit necessary to operate the mine car’s control device. Due to the mechanical issue, those coal mine tour participants were temporarily stuck several hundred feet below ground before being evacuated from the mine via an escape capsule. Ventilation and lighting continued to operate without issue during the June incident and no one was injured. In addition to those from Scranton, firefighters from Taylor, Moosic and Avoca have also participated in the training at the coal mine tour site, county officials said. The training will continue there Thursday. — JEFF HORVATH
Scranton firefighters train at the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour in McDade Park, preparing to extract mine visitors in the event of an emergency. (COURTESY OF LACKAWANNA COUNTY)