May 2, 2010
Volunteer community safety and health training for cleanup efforts related to the oil spill in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico began Sunday at 9 a.m. in Jackson County, Mississippi.
Additional training sessions were scheduled in Jackson County and Harrison County Sunday afternoon. At 2 p.m., John Shows, associate vice president for Career and Technical Education, presented the health and safety informational session to about 40 interested individuals in the Fine Arts Auditorium, at the Jefferson Davis Campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC).
This first response for health, safety and awareness training was sponsored by local elected officials, BP personnel, community organizations and MGCCC. Pearl River Community College (PRCC) will be working with MGCCC to host training sessions for Hancock County residents.
Currently, the schedule for continuing the basic training sessions beginning May 3, 2010, to be conducted by Mississippi Gulf Coast Community Colleges is as follows:
These volunteer training sessions will qualify volunteers to participate in pre-landfall beach cleaning to minimize impact on the beaches of any oil contamination of trash and debris on the beaches. It will not qualify the volunteers to do cleanup of oil contaminated beaches and wildlife.
Advanced preparations are being made for a major protection and cleaning effort on the shorelines of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. According to reports, Command Centers opened Saturday.
For further information, please visit the Web site at www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.
