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2025 Emergency Response Training Schedule Now Available

OCT. 15, 2024 — In September, OR&R completed its final response training event of fiscal year 2024, providing training to over 1,100 emergency responders and planners over the course of the year. OR&R is pleased to announce its fiscal year 2025 schedule for Science of Oil Spills (SOS) classes and Science of Chemical Releases (SOCR) classes in a number of locations around the country. All spill responders and planners are encouraged to apply.

A group of trainees listen to a trainer deliver a lesson from a Seattle shoreline.
During the field component of an SOS class in Seattle, students learn Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique, or SCAT, from the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator. Image credit: NOAA.

Science of Oil Spills (SOS) Classes:

  • Houston, Texas, March 17-21: The application period will be October 17 - December 13
  • Seattle, Washington, June 9-13: The application period will be December 16, 2024 - February 16, 2025.
  • City TBD, Florida, spring/summer 2025: The application period will be determined at a later date.

Science of Chemical Releases (SOCR) Classes:

  • Mobile, Alabama, March 10-14: The application period will be October 17 - December 13
  • Seattle, Washington, June 23-27: The application period will be December 16, 2024 - February 16, 2025.

Training dates will be made available on the OR&R Training Calendar. There is no cost to attend OR&R classes, but participants must cover their own travel expenses for in-person training. OR&R’s classes experience high demand. Classes are not filled on a first-come, first-served basis; to enrich each class for the benefit of all participants, OR&R diversifies the participant composition to ensure a variety of perspectives and experiences. OR&R will also offer two NOAA-specific ICS-300 classes (Incident Command System-300) for candidates internal to NOAA and an internal Safety Academy for NOAA responders.

Can’t attend an in-person training? OR&R also has self-study resources (e.g., job aids and on-demand training) to help prepare environmental responders and planners for disasters. Check out OR&R’s virtual lecture series, You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know, on the third Thursday of each month to hear experts present on topics related to emergency spill response, environmental protection and beyond.

For further information, contact orr.training@noaa.gov.

Last updated Friday, October 18, 2024 1:48pm PDT