Forty-five students attended the training, which was coordinated by OR&R’s Emergency Response Division and Disaster Preparedness Program. Staff from all sectors of U.S. Coast Guard District 1, as well as regional and state environmental protection agencies, the U.S. Navy, and private industry attended the training that took place at the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office. 

Presentations included all aspects of oil spill response, from trajectory modeling to shoreline assessment and best management practices for recovery. While most presentations were provided in-person, several were given remotely. Special guest speakers included representatives from Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division. Students were also able to spend a day in the field, practicing their classroom lessons while competing in a scavenger hunt around Cape Ann. 

SOS classes are always in high demand in the oil spill response community, and this fiscal year was no exception. OR&R trained 130 participants in SOS classes throughout the year, and more than 2,200 participants in our other class offerings.

Next fiscal year, three SOS classes are planned at OR&R offices in Seattle, Washington and Mobile, Alabama, as well as at a field location, possibly in the Great Lakes region. Dates and locations will be finalized in the coming months and outlined on the SOS Classes page.