Welcome to the information and registration page for the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Training (HAZWOPER 24) for wildlife professionals presented by the Alaska Sealife Center and hosted by the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.
HAZWOPER 24 is a federal certification that is required for those that come in contact with oiled wildlife in any situation. Completion of this training is your first and most time-consuming step in becoming an oiled wildlife worker during an oil or chemical spill emergency.
The course is designed so that participants in an oil spill or related chemical spill emergency can properly protect themselves when working with and around contaminated wildlife. A brief overview of oiled wildlife rescue and clarification of next steps is also part of the course.
This class is capped at 25 participants so please wait for a confirmation email after registration.
Please note that the full process to become HAZWOPER 24 certified consists of:
16 hours of online-only course work. Completion of this course work is required before attending the in-person training session.
Attendance of a 2 day in-person training session in which practical skills are taught and participants are quizzed. Day 2 also offers an overview of wildlife specific topics that is not part of a regular HAZWOPER 24 training session.
This in-person training, scheduled for March 20 & 21, 2025, at the Maryland Zoo’s Historic Mansion House, will take place from 8 AM – 5 PM with breakfast, lunch, and snacks provided.
Once your HAZWOPER 24 training certification is complete, you will then need to complete hands-on training with an oiled wildlife response organization to learn animal handling, restraint, cleaning/decontamination, and the other specialized components of oiled animal rescue. Participants will be responsible for scheduling this training upon completion; it is not included in this free HAZWOPER 24 course. The Maryland Zoo and other Mid-Atlantic AZA facilities partner with Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research in Newark, DE but you are not required to work with them upon completion of HAZWOPER 24. A representative from Tri-State Bird Rescue will be present on March 21 to explain how to join their responder network.
Please note that HAZWOPER 24 certification also requires a yearly online 8 hour refresher course with a quiz.
