EVERETT, Wash. – Well-trained citizen volunteers can play an important role in oil spill response and cleanup. To increase the number of volunteers ready to assist in the event of an oil spill, WSU Snohomish County Extension is launching a new program called Oil Spill Awareness and Response Support (OSARS).
The program training will be Sept. 19 and 26 via Zoom.
The two-day OSARS course is designed for current WSU marine resource volunteers and members of other organizations in Washington State who are interested in learning about oil spills and opportunities for volunteering during an oil spill incident.
The course instructors are oil spill response experts from Washington Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other organizations. The course also covers how the Incident Command System (ICS) framework is used during an oil spill and how volunteers fit in to a response.
Information will be presented on oil spill impacts, science, response, assessment, and recovery. By the end of the course, participants will have learned the ways they can be involved to prevent, prepare for, and respond to oil spills.
For more information visit the Snohomish County Extension website.