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Use of Volunteers and Supplementary Workforce In Oiled Wildlife Response  

The media attention and emotion surrounding an oil spill and the impact on wildlife will result in a flood of volunteers. These volunteers can provide a valuable resource to assist responders so long as they are appropriately trained and managed.

Possible Roles for Volunteers in Oiled Wildlife Response

It takes a significant dedication of skill, time and money to provide the necessary treatment and care for oiled wildlife. The role of the volunteer is vital to a large spill event causing major wildlife impacts.

The roles and responsibilities of volunteers in an oiled wildlife response depends heavily on existing State/NT resources, and the scale of the spill event, but may include:

• rescue/capture on foreshores & on-water of injured and oiled wildlife
• transportation of captured wildlife to Wildlife Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre (WTRC)
• assist veterinary staff in initial triage of captured wildlife
• assist in washing and drying of oiled wildlife
• preparation of specialist food and the feeding of captive wildlife
• assist in animal husbandry and care of wildlife during rehabilitation
• recording & documentation
• assist in wildlife banding and release activities
• assist in wildlife handling and cleaning of enclosures
• log-in/out of wildlife and personnel into the WTRC
• assist staff in animal quarantine procedures and disease control
• maintain registers and rosters of personnel
• support administration and clerical officers in WTRC
• support communications at WTRC eg telephone, radio etc.
• coordinate wildlife records to provide information on total animals at each stage and for SITREPS and media releases.
• support logistics in WTRC eg food, equipment acquisition, set up, cleaning and maintenance etc
• maintenance of pools for marine life and test swim pools for oiled birds
• post spill monitoring of release wildlife eg breeding, feeding, recovery.

Advantages of Local Volunteers

It is preferred that volunteers are sourced from the local region or community affected by the spill:

• provides additional trained and motivated resources to assist specialist responders and wildlife agencies where available
• local volunteers normally have a strong sense of ownership of the problem
• local volunteers may have a good local knowledge of wildlife diversity, wildlife location, feeding habitats, foreshore type and access etc.
• volunteers usually have demonstrated commitment and willingness to assist
• own accommodation relieves pressure of influx of other personnel
• local volunteers will also have ownership of a regional problem and of course a keen interest in a quick and effective resolution.

It is essential State/NT wildlife plans have a system for the identification of trained volunteers and a searchable database of volunteers with contact details and skills is established.

It must also be remembered that not all volunteers have the aptitude to undertake this form of work therefore there is a need to establish a volunteer selection process which identifies competence, confidence and skills.

This selection process needs to address:

• close assessment of physical capabilities eg field, indoor, desk activities
• registration and workers compensation requirements
• occupational health and safety requirements
• briefing of individual responsibilities legal issues, operational organisation who to report to etc.
• payment of volunteers out of pocket expenses.

Guidelines for the Management of Volunteers

A generic volunteer registration / agreement form has been prepared and is available for use by State/NT agencies during an oiled wildlife incident or for the pre-registration of volunteer to determine training requirements.

It is recommended that each State/NT agency assess this form and modify for their own internal and legal purposes.

It is also recommended that:

• on arrival must register and be provided with safety, first aid and legal briefing
• volunteers must register as individuals not organisations
• for safety and legal considerations must wear a badge identifying them as registered volunteer
• volunteers must be aware of the command structure and who is who in the response
• volunteers must ensure hygiene standards are followed
• all must be registered on a roster system and sign on/off each day
• a dedicated phone line for volunteers must be established
• volunteer must take adequate rest and meal breaks
• volunteers must not speak directly to media.

Volunteer Briefing Material

The following is a volunteer briefing hand out/ document that has been prepared as a guide for State/NT agencies.

Important information for all persons who wish to be assessed as volunteers that they are briefed on the likely physical requirements of the duties, safety aspects and possible dangers involved, their responsibilities and obligations as a volunteer.

If you as a volunteer are considering attending an oiled wildlife response then please note the following and complete a volunteer registration form.

Safety

The National Plan has an overriding policy of:

Human Safety First Above All Other Conserns Including Wildlife

Response management and supervisory personnel will seek to eliminate or minimise hazards from the work site.

Age, Medical Issues & Requirements

The volunteer must be 16 years or over and in good health.

Volunteers must be in good health with no substantive medical conditions. If you are pregnant, taking certain types of medication, allergic to animal dander or detergents, or you have a kidney, liver or lung disorder, it is recommended that you consider consulting a doctor before acting as a volunteer.

A current tetanus vaccination is strongly recommended.

If your immune system has been compromised, or if you are taking steroids, or you have recently received anticancer treatment, or you are HIV positive, or you are pregnant, or you have allergies to birds, then you may be at an increased risk of contracting certain diseases from wildlife. In these circumstances, and if reasonable, you should not volunteer for this project.

Persons with existing medical conditions or taking medication(s) should consider obtaining an opinion from their physician in the matter of whether or not it would be safe for them to be present as a volunteer at an oil spill response site.

If you are pregnant or there is a chance that you may be pregnant you should not volunteer for this project.

It is important for you to be aware of the following hazards that you may encounter during training for oiled wildlife response or during oil spill exercises or during an actual oil spill response:

• Exposure to sun, wind and rain
• Hypothermia - becoming too cold
• Hyperthermia - becoming too hot
• Exhaustion - becoming too tired
• Injury from birds while handling them
• Injury while walking on oily or uneven surfaces, such as rocks at beaches
• Possible drowning while wading into the water to capture birds or operating from boats
• Possible exposure to noxious chemicals, which can affect the skin by contact, or the body if swallowed or inhaled.
• Tetanus - Current tetanus vaccination status is highly recommended. Please consult your physician to make sure that you have received a tetanus booster within the last ten years.
• Exposure to bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, and animal dander, all of which can be transmitted from animals to humans.
• Emotional stress caused by fatigue and potentially observing animal deaths
• Domestic hazards associated with the food preparation, slippery floors, and detergents
• Possible injury while operating or being around motor vehicles and/or heavy machinery.

Work Conditions & Obligations:

• Volunteers are expected to comply with all safety regulations and wear appropriate safety equipment and follow the instructions of supervisors and the site safety officer during training, induction and when in the oil spill response site.
• Information on each person's volunteer registration form should be accurate and up to date. This applies to personal information about: emergency contact details, current medications, allergies, and special health considerations.
• Volunteers should take steps to ensure that the supervisor or safety officer is aware of or is made aware of, any signs of illness and any injuries (whether while training or while present at the oil spill response site).
• We ask that you be able to complete a minimum number of shifts within a seven day period.
• Smoking will not be permitted anywhere in the spill response area.
• It may be necessary to bring several layers of warm clothes, and bring a change of clothes in case.
• Bring initially rain gear (rain coat, pants, rain hat, rubber boots)- other protective gear will be provided by operations personnel during induction.
• Do not bring children to the site, please arrange your own child care facilities.
• Do not bring pets of any type to the site.
• Do not bring items that may pose a significant sparking hazard; such as cell phones, lighters, matches and cigarettes, camera flashes, pagers, etc.
• Bring sufficient food and water initially for yourself for first few hours after this time food and drink will be provided for you.
• Bring rags or old towels that you may wish to donate (these items will not be returned).

Media Issues

The Senior Wildlife Response Co-ordinator and Wildlife Media Liaison Officer is responsible for supplying information requested by media.

Volunteers receiving requests from the media should ensure that the information is provided by the appropriate Response Co-ordinator.

Photographs may be taken using still cameras provided that the permission of the supervisor responsible for the area has been obtained eg . no camera flash if it is likely to scare wildlife.

Photographs may not be used for any publication or public presentation without the written permission of the relevant agency manager.

Security of possessions

You are responsible for the safety of your personal possessions.

We suggest that you do not bring valuable possessions to the spill site.

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