EVERETT, Wash. – Each year, over 20 billion gallons of oil and other hazardous chemicals are transported in the Puget Sound. Trained volunteers can support spill response and assessment led by local and state agencies.
The Habitat Strategic Initiative, Washington State University Extension, and Washington Department of Natural Resources present a webinar Oil Spill Awareness and Response Support (OSARS) for anyone interested in how to use training and development opportunities to connect volunteer organizations with agencies and others that can use them in an emergency.
The webinar is Dec. 16 at 1 pm, where anyone interested can learn more about the OSARS pilot program and the novel approach to connecting volunteer organizations with local and state emergency response agencies.
The OSARS training was designed to engage and prepare volunteer organizations to assist with oil spills in the Puget Sound region. This pilot program has helped to determine how to best connect volunteer organizations to oil spill response leads through expert-led trainings. With
continued OSARS trainings, diverse volunteer organizations can help build a network to support the coordinated agency response to oil spill emergencies.
The webinar is free and no registration is required.
Media contact:
- Jonathan Robinson, WSU Snohomish County Extension Beach Watchers Program Coordinator, 541-220-7812, jonathan.w.robinson@wsu.edu
