| Sheriff LaMar Guymon, Capt. Kyle Ekker with the Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Scott T. Duncan during the Crandall Canyon mine disaster on August of 2007. |
The Utah Mine Commission has been working on recommendations for Gov. Jon Huntsman and the Utah Legislature. One of the recommendations deals with Emery County Sheriff LaMar Guymon. This recommendation recognizes the contribution of Sheriff Guymon and the Emery County Sheriff’s Office.
The recommendation reads, “The state should request the assistance of Emery County Sheriff LaMar Guymon in the development of a state emergency response plan and the coordination of a mine accident emergency response simulation exercise.
“During commission hearings, Sheriff Guymon was universally praised for his professional and effective leadership in supervising the public safety response to the Crandall Canyon incident. He also played a key role in the response to the Wilberg Mine disaster in 1984. Based on his experience and superior performance, the state should draw on Sheriff Guymon’s experience and knowledge.”
In the aftermath of the Crandall Canyon mine disaster, Richard Stickler, Assistant Secretary for the Mine, Safety and Health Administration wrote a letter of thanks and appreciation to Sheriff Guymon and the sheriff’s office. Stickler said, “On behalf of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, I would like to express our deepest appreciation for the outstanding support your office provided during the Crandall Canyon rescue operation last August. From the very beginning of those difficult weeks, you and your staff went above and beyond the call of duty to assist in MSHA’s rescue efforts. The support was invaluable and was appreciated by everyone. Thank you for your outstanding service and please convey our gratitude to everyone in you department,” said Stickler.
Guymon said, “I am very fortunate to have the good men that I have that make me look so good. This is an example of what good team work can accomplish. Every situation is different, you can practice, practice, practice but nothing ever happens the same way twice. We learned a lot of things from Crandall Canyon, we were fortunate to have all of the equipment that Homeland Security grants enabled us to purchase.This equipment was priceless as we dealt with this disaster.”