Disaster Response Center Hosts Science of Chemical Releases Class for Spill Responders
MARCH 18, 2024 — OR&R’s Science of Chemical Releases (SOCR) classes are back at the NOAA Disaster Response Center (DRC) in Mobile, Alabama. After being held virtually for several years after the COVID-19 pandemic, SOCR classes returned to in-person in 2023 with a class at USCG Sector Jacksonville in Jacksonville, Florida. The OR&R training team, comprised of Brita Berry, Adam Davis, Charlie Henry, Dalina Thrift-Viveros, Savannah Turner, Bob Bradley, and Al Valeriotti, facilitated the most recent SOCR in-person class from March 12-15, 2024.
![Students studying case studies during the March 2024 Science of Chemical Releases Class in Mobile, AL. A view of a presenter and students studying case studies on screen during the March 2024 Science of Chemical Releases Class in Mobile, AL.](https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/images/1569/DPP_Science%20of%20Chemical%20Releases%20class%20held%20at%20the%20%20NOAA%20Disaster%20Response%20Center_3_18_24%20475PX.png)
SOCR is a four-day intensive training designed to help spill responders and planners increase their understanding of chemical spill science when preparing for and analyzing chemical spills, and making risk-based decisions to protect public health, safety, and the environment.
Throughout the course students were able to observe demonstrations and use tools supported by OR&R such as the Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO®) Software Suite. This includes programs like CAMEO Chemicals, ALOHA®, and MARPLOT® as well as the Chemical Aquatic Fate and Effects (CAFE) database. Instructors from both OR&R’s Emergency Response Division and Disaster Preparedness Program used real-world experiences from previous incidents to increase students' understanding of chemical spill science. The Gulf Strike Team hosted a field trip to their hangar in Mobile to give the students a closer look into the world of response to oil and hazardous substance pollution incidents. The 20 students who attended the class were a mix of federal, state, and local responders from across the country.
A second in-person SOCR class will be held in Seattle this year. This course will take place from May 6-10, 2024. Learn more about OR&R’s training available in 2024 on our website.