01.03.2022

This year the Mine Rescue Service in Kazakhstan is celebrating its 90th anniversary! By the anniversary of the service will be summed up the results and achievements, evaluated the contribution of rescuers to the provision of safe working conditions for miners.

History of Mine Rescue Service in the Republic of Kazakhstan

Mine rescue service in the mining industry

The beginning of the organization of the state mine rescue service in the Republic of Kazakhstan is considered in the mining industry in May 1932, when the first mine rescue point was created in the Ridder town, East Kazakhstan region in the mine «Ridderzoloto».

Then in September 1933 on the basis of the mine rescue point was established the first mine-rescue station (order of the state Ridder mining plant «Ridderzoloto» from 13.02.1933 № 87).

Receiving an accident report. The departure of the mine rescue unit, 1933.

In 1934 the mine-rescue station was reorganized into the 4th Separate Militarized Mine Rescue Platoon, and in 1942 - the operational platoon of the 6th Militarized Mine Rescue Squad (MMRS). The 6th MMRS, in addition to the operational platoon consisted of numbered Berikulsky platoon and six newly organized points: in 1937 - Belousovsky, Salairsky, Zyrianovsky, in 1938 - Artemovsky, Central and Akzhalsky.

In 1934, the 10th MMRS with mine rescue platoons in the mines Uspenskiy, East Kounradskiy, Baikonur and Maikainskiy in Zhezkazgan mine was created.

In 1937 the mine rescue stations at the Achisai and Kansai mines began operating. The underground fire that broke out in 1943 in the Ridder mine from spontaneous combustion in the collapsed space at the polymetallic field served as a terrible warning about the ability to spontaneously combust polymetallic ores, which until that time had been considered non-fire hazardous. This fact prompted the People's Commissariat of Metallurgy of the USSR to increase attention to fire protection and safety at polymetallic and rare-metal mining enterprises of non-ferrous metallurgy in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. On the basis of a special decision in 1943 were again organized mine rescue units at the mines: Tekeli Lead Zinc Factory, Mirgalimsay Achisay Pollimettalic Factory, Kadamzhai industrial complex of Frunze and Ak-Tyuz, Kyrgyz mine management.

Thus, by the end of 1943 militarized mine rescue units serving non-ferrous metals industry in Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Siberia were united under the leadership of the 11th MMRS, stationed at Tekeli mine. On the basis of this MMRS in 1944 in Alma-Ata city was organized paramilitary headquarters of the militarized mine rescue units (MMRU) of Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

In 1945 it included units stationed in the cities of Leninogorsk (Ridder) and Dzhezkazgan. At the end of 1945 the headquarters of MMRU Central Asia and Kazakhstan from the city of Alma-Ata was transferred to the Leninogorsk (Ridder) and included: 6th Leninogorsk MMRS, 10th Dzhezkazgan MMRS, 11th Tekeli MMRS, 14th Achisai MMRS and 15th Kansai MMRS.

By order of the People's Commissariat of Heavy Industry of the USSR on December 30, 1947 № 52 staff MMRU in Leninogorsk was renamed to the headquarters of the MMRU of Altai, Siberia and the Far East.

Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR on March 26, 1957 № 503, due to the organization of Sovnarkhoz, the headquarters of MMRU in Leninogorsk (Ridder) was renamed to the headquarters of MMRU of East Kazakhstan with subdivisions: 6th Leninogorsk MMRS, 11th Tekeli MMRS, 22nd Salair MMRS, 23rd Zyryanovsky MMRS, and 28th Belousovsky MMRS.

In accordance with the order of the Ministry of Non-Ferrous Metals Industry of the Kazakh SSR February 9, 1966 № 26 at the headquarters of MMRU established production of repair and mechanical workshops (PRMW), the production of devices and equipment for rescue units and mining companies in Kazakhstan.

Receiving a report of an accident. Operational departure of Leninogorsk MMRS, 1953.

In 1971, the order of the Ministry of nonferrous metallurgy of the Kazakh SSR September 13, № 340 staff MMRU of East Kazakhstan and headquarters MMRU of Center and South Kazakhstan were combined into a single headquarters MMRU of non-ferrous metallurgy with units: 26th Zholymbet MMRS, 27th Dzhezkazgan MMRS, 28th Akchatau MMRS, 29th Kentau MMRS, 30th Leninogorsk MMRS, 31st Zyryanovsky MMRS, 32nd Irtysh MMRS, 33rd Tekeli MMRS, 34th Zolotushensky MMRS and Maikainsky separate platoon.

The MMRU staff of the Ministry of Nonferrous Metallurgy (MNM) of the Kazakh SSR had good personnel potential. The command staff of the units underwent retraining courses every five years at the Leningrad and Moscow Mining Institutes, as well as at the Sverdlovsk Mining Technical School. Personnel MMRU, constantly raising not only the level of theoretical knowledge, but also practical experience and ability to perform tasks in extreme conditions. Much attention was paid to the exchange of experience among the units not only of Kazakhstan, but also other republics of the USSR.

Units of MMRU annually eliminated many man-made accidents, and dozens of people were saved as well as provided first aid to the injured.

In case of major accidents at mine enterprises to eliminate them were involved mine rescue units of the entire industrial region of the Republic. So, in December 1976 was eliminated long active fire in Zolotushinsky mine Zolotushinsky Rudoupravlenie Altai Territory, and also eliminated endogenous fire in the mine Tekeli in Tekeli mining and processing plant, which appeared in December 1977 and lasted a long time. A large amount of emergency work was carried out by personnel of units MMRU of Kazakhstan during a karst water breakthrough in the mine workings in March 1982 at the mine «Gluboky» (Achisayskiy MPP, Kentau).

Underground rescue works

In addition, the MMRU personnel were involved in the rescue operation and elimination of accidents not only at the served facilities of the Ministry of Non-Ferrous Metals Industry of the USSR or industrial enterprises of other industries, but also at civilian sector facilities.

In December 1988, after the earthquake in Armenia, the HQ of MMRU were sent a team of 100 people for rescue work in Leninakan, the team did its job good. The best of the rescuers were awarded by government awards of the USSR.

Armenia (Leninakan) 1988 г.

At the end of 1991, the general management of all headquarters of MMRU of industrial areas, individual mine rescue detachments and Ministry of Non-Ferrous Metals Industry organizations of the Union republics of USSR was carried out by the specialized production association (SPA) Metal safety of the Ministry of Nonferrous Metallurgy of the USSR.

Target financing of militarized mine rescue units through SPA «Metal safety» allowed at that time to solve the problem of gradual re-equipment the units of MMRU. During this period the re-equipment of mine rescue units with R-12 respirators was completed, re-equipment with new types of equipment and gear was started, a tendency to provide units with modern rescue equipment and vehicles was outlined.

After the collapse of USSR, the economic ties that had been established for decades were broken, which led to the deepening of the general crisis of the economy and the aggravation of social problems throughout the post-Soviet space. Many industrial enterprises of the industry could not withstand such shocks and were forced to begin bankruptcy and liquidation procedures. Along with them, the separate MMRU serving these enterprises fell into ruin. Balkhash MMRS, Maykainsky separate MMR platoon completely stopped their activities, Zholymbetsky MMRS, Kentausky MMRS, Irtyshsky MMRS for several years were in the protection mode or worked periodically. In these difficult conditions, the command staff of MMRU took all possible measures to maintain a professional mine rescue service in Kazakhstan.

In the second half of the 1990s there were reforms in the structure of management. Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Kazakhstan order № 164 of September 11, 1996 HQ MMRU of West Kazakhstan (Rudny) was liquidated, and its subdivisions were reassigned to HQ MMRU of Kazakhstan (Leninogorsk).

The Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated July 12, 2000 № 1061 HQ MMRU with its subdivisions of mine rescuers was transferred from the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Kazakhstan into the Agency of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This Agency Order of the of July 17, 2000 № 167 established the Republican State Enterprise (RSE) Militarized Rescue Service «Ken».

Mine Rescue Service in the Coal Industry

The first rescue station in the Karaganda Coal Basin was organized in 1932, and November 1 of that year the rescuers started a round-the-clock duty for the safety of miners and coal industry facilities.

Rescue service was created in difficult economic conditions, in parallel with the construction of the first coal mines of the Karaganda Basin.

Created in 1934, militarized mine rescue squad was equipped with two platoons and three mine-rescue points, were outdated, with 25-year life cycle, brought from the Donbass, the German's company "DRAGER" respirators and primitive primary fire extinguishing equipment.

During the Great Patriotic War, Karaganda coal basin rescuers in parallel with their service, provided emergency protection of coal mines, were directly involved in coal mining, and in evacuating equipment, enterprises and specialists from Donbass.

In the postwar years the USSR developed, improved and implemented new gas protective devices and mine rescue equipment, not inferior the foreign analogs.

Mine rescue squad before the departure. Training in a training mine, 1953.

Active development of mine rescue service in the Karaganda coal basin fell on the period from 1968 to 1988. Separate operational mine rescue platoons were united and transformed into mine rescue squads, complexes of service and residential buildings were built. In service units appeared new, more powerful and advanced means of fighting underground fires, foam and powder extinguishing installations, powerful means of extinguishing and inertization the underground fires - generators of inert gases, complexes for the construction of blast-resistant plaster bridges, mobile and stationary nitrogen gasification plants, anti-thermal means of individual and group applications. Reanimation and antishock groups (RAG) on rendering aid to the injured in the mine were organized in the operational units. Qualitatively new methods, ways and techniques of accident prevention and elimination were developed.

During the rescue work, miners felt the effective help of mine rescuers, successfully eliminated the consequences of the most complex man-made accidents, rescue and assistance to victims.

Karaganda's Rescuers were also involved in rescue operations during the earthquake and mudslides in Alma-Ata in 1966, 1969, as well as an earthquake in Leninakan (Armenia) in 1988, in a gas explosion at the Karaganda meat factory, Ekibastuz HRPP-2, in extinguishing forest fires in the tract Bayan-Aul, in a household gas explosion in houses in Karaganda, Saran, Temirtau.

Conducting rescue work in accidents in underground coal mines is always accompanied by great difficulty and danger, and their successful execution is not possible without displaying the best qualities of human character, such as courage, dedication, reasonable risk for the saving miners in trouble. In different years, 52 rescuers died while performing rescue work, fulfilling his professional duty.

For courage and selflessness in rescuing miners and the successful elimination of the consequences of a number of complex accidents in the Karaganda coal basin, in the period 1970-1972, by Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Karaganda Militarized Rescue Squad was awarded by the Order of Labor Red Banner.

In accordance with the decision of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated February 28, 2000 № 307, Agency of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the basis of State Enterprise militarized rescue unit coal industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan" since April 19, 2000, created the Republican State Enterprise" militarized rescue service «Kөmir» (State Enterprise MERS «Көміr»).

Reforming the structure of professional emergency services in the Republic continued in stages and was completed by 2007 with the unification of four industry-specific emergency services, serving hazardous industrial facilities (HIPs) in the mining, coal, oil and gas, oil refining and chemical industries.

Government Decree of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated November 30, 2007 № 1154 in the structure of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan established the Republican State Enterprise «Central militarized headquarters of the professional emergency services» (State Enterprise «CHQ MERS») and in its structure established a branch of the "militarized emergency rescue service «Kөmіr"»

On August 6, 2014, by Presidential Decree No. 875 «On the Reform of the Public Administration System of the Republic of Kazakhstan». The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan was abolished, the powers were transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, except for the issues of material reserve and industrial safety, which were transferred to the newly formed Ministry of Investment and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the transfer of functions and powers in the field of industrial safety.

The Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan from July 16, 2015 № 536 in the structure of the Ministry of Investment and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan established the Republican State Enterprise «Professional militarized rescue service» (RSE «PMRS»).

In accordance with the state program for the development of competition in the Republic of Kazakhstan, aimed to improve the legal framework, the formation of conditions for the business and investment attractiveness of the economy, including measures of antimonopoly regulation and other protective measures, as well as measures to develop competition, expanding opportunities and stimulating business activity, it was decided to privatize RSE «PMRS» and transfer it to a competitive sphere.

In accordance with the letter dated 14.02.2019 № KbiP-1-1212- KbiP-707 of the Committee of State Property and Privatization of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan, based on the Agreement of Sale and Purchase № 1/56 dated December 24, 2018, the Republican State Enterprise «Professional militarized emergency rescue service» of the Committee of Industrial Development of the Ministry for Investment and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan was sold to Limited Liability Partnership «Central Republican Headquarters of Professional Militarized Rescue Service» («CRH PMRS» LLP)

«CRH PMRS» LLP carries out its activities at the expense of its own funds from the implementation of contracts with economic entities served without attracting funds from the republican budget.

The main task of «CRH PMRS» LLP is to perform mine rescue, anti-fontan, gas rescue, preventive and technical work, as well as work related to extinguishing fires and providing first aid.

Professional mine rescue service with private form of ownership and functioning in competitive environment should be further improved, equipped with new gas protection means of rescue, apply more effective methods and tactics of extinguishing underground fires, use modern technologies in localization of consequences of various man-made accidents. At the same time the mine rescue science and world experience of mine rescue services of the most developed cou`ntries should be developed.