PERSONNEL FOR OILED WILDLIFE RESPONSE: CHALLENGES IN IDENTIFYING, TRAINING, AND MAINTAINING AN EFFECTIVE TEAM

Abstract

ABSTRACT In formulating an effective wildlife response plan there are four basic building blocks. A facility or place to do the work, proper equipment to do the work with, a structure to organize the work in a safe effective and efficient manner and personnel- the people to perform all of the varied tasks required to successfully respond to each unique incident. While each of these blocks are important and a case could be made for any as the single “most” important, in reality, the foundation on which an oiled wildlife response is built is personnel, just as in every other emergency response. Without adequately trained personnel, the best equipment, the finest facility and an effective organizational structure will all be wasted and the failure of the wildlife response is pre-ordained. Unfortunately, not only is identifying, training and keeping personnel at ready the most important factor in maximizing the success of a wildlife response, it is the most challenging. Many of the people introduced to oiled wildlife response during an oil spill are at least initially keen to the possibility of pursuing it as a career. While the enthusiasm of many wanes when they learn the harsh realities and unpredictability of the work, in many cases the biggest obstacle is that there is not a clear path to follow to receive the training and experience necessary. If by good fortune they are able to gain that training and experience there is little hope of being able to support themselves or perhaps even a family once they have achieved the required skill level. While industry, governmental agencies and non-govemmental or non profit organizations have all attempted to solve this problem in a variety of ways, there is still no model that provides a real answer to this challenge. This paper will discuss the challenges involved in identifying potential personnel, training and maintenance of skills, and providing the support required to keep them available and ready to provide the skills necessary to assure each oiled wildlife response the best chance of success in documenting and mitigating the impacts of an oil spill on wildlife.