Oil Spill Volunteer Training November 15 & 17 in Half Moon Bay

In response to last week’s oil spill in the San Francisco Bay, the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services has scheduled two training sessions for volunteers who want to help clean up the water and beaches.

Volunteer training has been scheduled for Thursday November 15 at the I.D.E.S. Hall at 735 Main Street in Half Moon Bay from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Capacity for this location is approximately 120 participants.

Volunteer training has also been scheduled for Saturday November 17 at the Train Depot at 110 Higgins Canyon Road. The morning session will be from 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. A second afternoon session will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Capacity for this location is approximately 65 participants.

Volunteers will learn safe handling, collection, and clean-up of oil; proper use of personal protective equipment; and personal safety procedures. Volunteers will be given a certificate to demonstrate that they have completed the required training. Classes will be provided through San Mateo County Environmental Health.

Registration is not required; however, San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services is asking all interested volunteers to register at www.smcalert.info and select the Coastside and/or Bayside CERT Groups.

For more information on the Half Moon Bay classes, call (650) 726-8288. San Mateo County has also opened an oil spill volunteer hotline with a recorded message announcing upcoming training opportunities: (650) 363-4099.

To keep up with the beach closures as a result of the spill, check out the San Mateo County Web site and Earth 911′s sister site Beaches 911.