Meritorious Rescue Crosses for both the current and former rescue workers

OSTRAVA –  In the Mining Rescue Service Display Room of the OKD Mining Museum, there was a meeting of almost thirty rescue workers from the whole Czech Republic on Monday, 8 December to receive from Ivo Pěgřímek, Chairman of the Czech Mining Office, the Industry Medals – “Meritorious Rescue Crosses”. The meeting was also attended by representatives of OKD management, mines, mining companies, governmental mining authorities of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, regional municipalities and relatives.

The merits of the awarded employees in rescuing people’s life, liquidation of mining accidents, remediation of their effects, as well as the mining rescue sector development were addressed gradually in the speeches of Václav Pošta, Director of the Main Mining Rescue Station in Ostrava, Ivo Pěgřímek, Chairman of the Czech Mining Office, and also Klaus-Dieter Beck, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of OKD, who emphasized, among others, that people’s safety during mining continues, and in the years to come will also continue, to be the top priority of OKD. He thanked the awarded employees for their dedicated work and wished them good health and good luck in mining.

This year, 19 Bronze, 5 Silver and 7 Gold Meritorious Rescue Crosses were awarded.

Meritorious Rescue Cross

The Industry Medal of “Meritorious Rescue Cross“ is awarded for exceptional merits in rescuing life or property during rescue team interventions, on the way to the point of intervention or during the exercises. It may also be awarded for special merits  in improving the professional standards of mining rescue services or tactics provided that the relevant person works with the mining rescue service for a period of no shorter than 10 years. The Medals are awarded and handed over by the Chairman of the Czech Mining Office.

(Josef Lys)