are negotiating with an industrial cooperative for funding to further enhance 

 their preparedness. They have ongoing training sessions, and each person is 

 trained for a certain job. They have a telephone communications system for 

 reporting oiled birds. Their leaders know our coordinators. If a spill 

 occurs, this group will need minimal supervision. The FRC's will be able to 

 concentrate on other responsibilities. 



The news media demanded more time than anticipated. After the initial 

 contact was made, we felt that we had a full grasp of the situation and de- 

 cided to continue handling the news media ourselves. Time that was spent 

 answering questions should have been used in other ways. A Service Public 

 Affairs specialist available continuously during a major spill would prove 

 valuable. 



The onlookers did not pose much of a problem. Time was spent explaining 

 cleanup activities and the reason that outsiders could not walk through the 

 building to view the operation. Another volunteer group plans to prepare a 

 handout explaining the operations and the importance of not disturbing the 

 bi rds . 



At Reedville we tried to alternate supervision. One person, referred to 

 as "Duty Duck," would assume overall command for the day. Another would 

 spend the day on field retrieval. A third would assist in whatever way he 

 could. Each day, the FRC's alternated these positions to relieve the pres- 

 sures associated with overall command. However, this created confusion as the 

 U.S. Coast Guard and volunteers had to work with a different supervisor each 

 day. The FRC in charge should concentrate on overall management and delegate 

 some work to other Service personnel. He should not handle each and every 

 problem personally. 



Lastly, to preempt future problems with a hot water supply, a trailer 



is being equipped that can be used in areas where facilities are limited. 



After a mobile hot water system and other supplies are unloaded, the trailer 

 will serve as a headquarters to base operations. 



We learned all these things the hard way, but through planning we will 

 be better able to handle our next spill. A FRC's responsibilities go beyond 

 the "response only" concept. The potential magnitude of oil or hazardous 

 substance spills necessitates preplanning Servicewise, There will continue 

 to be problems and pressures, but we feel that we have reduced many of them. 



REFERENCE 



Williams, A.S. 1978. Saving oiled sea birds. Am. Petrol. Inst., Washington, 

 DC. 7 pp. 



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