On Nov. 21, Islands’ Oil Spill Association is offering a free class on Lopez for those who want to be an oiled wildlife responder.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife requires a minimum of eight hours training to be certified as an oiled wildlife responder and if you don’t have your eight-hour certification, you cannot help out with oiled wildlife at a spill until you take the training.

Four of those hours must be HAZWOPER training (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response) and the remaining four hours are obtained by taking the Basic Care of Oiled Wildlife class. In reality, these usually last about five to six hours.

IOSA is the only spill response group in the San Juans and the only non-profit, community-based spill response organization in the Pacific Northwest.

Free trainings are offered several times each year on the three major islands in the San Juans. If you cannot make this class, contact IOSA and they will put you on their list of people to be notified of upcoming classroom trainings, on-the-water oil spill response drills and other related activities.

Class size is limited and pre-registration is required for this class. If you would like to sign up and/or be notified of future trainings, contact IOSA on iosaoffice@rockisland.com, or 378-5322.