Can volunteers help clean up oil contaminated areas?

The complex nature of oil cleanup, coupled with health and safety concerns, limits the role of volunteers. Volunteers will not engage in any activity directly contacting oil-contaminated materials.  All oil-contaminated materials will be handled by trained, paid workers and not by volunteers.These trained paid workers include Qualified Community Responders, who are typically hired from the local community and and Paraprofessionals who are BP pre-approved contractors with previous permits, training and skills.

 Although volunteers will not be utilized in activities that involve direct contact with oil, there is still a need for volunteers.  If you are interested in mobilizing when and if the time comes,  go to www.keysspill.com for more information about ways you can be of service in the Keys related to the oil spill. This web site does not represent a registered 501c3 non-profit profit organization, but volunteers are working and disseminating information through it to organize a local response. 

We are also starting Hurricane season, and Monroe County Emergency Management will be training volunteers to be Shelter Managers in designated Shelters throughout the Keys. Dates for this training are posted below. The training takes about 5 hours, and Shelter Managers will be assigned to Shelters in or near their own community in the case of a Hurricane.

 Shelter Manager Training was conducted at Marathon Fire Station, Department Meeting Room, 8900 Overseas Highway (Bayside), Marathon, on Wednesday, May 26, 2010, from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM.  This site will be updated as more training is scheduled.