In fall of 2010, Harlan County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources, along with the Cumberland Tourist Commission, community members, coal mining company officials and coal mining enforcement agency officials met to discuss a training program (Harlan County Safety Days) for coal miners in the region.   A need that was identified was to hold a Mine Rescue Training event for coal company mine rescue teams in the immediate area and surrounding states.  Per federal law, each coal mining company must have a trained mine rescue team available and each team must compete in two contests per year.  Also, the training contest would be overseen by the two leading coal mine enforcement organizations in Kentucky:  the Kentucky Division of Mine Safety and the United States Mine Safety and Health Administration.  

To accomplish this event, the Harlan County Safety Days committee worked to identify coal company mine rescue teams and invite them to the three day training.   The training would include contests in first-aid, mine examination, rescue, and self-contained breathing apparatus assembly.  Also, a location was needed and thus the group began to work with the officials at the Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College to use their Cumberland Campus.  

The 2019 event attracted 12 mine rescue teams from four states.  Post event evaluations show that more than $17,000 was brought into the community due to the event.  The event provided valuable skill training for at least 100 miners.  

In the previous seven years (2011-2018) the contest has been held, over 1,200 coal miners have been trained in first-aid and mine rescue simulated contests.   These miners brought representation from more than 30 coal company teams across eight states.  Also, this event has injected a total of $325,000 into the local economy during that period.