Gearing Up for Oilapalooza 2024!
The OWCN Management Team has been busy prepping the final details for next week's big event - OILAPALOOZA 2024! If you are familiar with Network events, you will know that this is our big conference that we have every other year, and this year it will be in Bakersfield, with over 100 attendees, representing 36 out of 46 of the OWCN's Member Organizations. The first day will include an exciting mixture of speakers, panel discussions, and even a little yoga tossed in there! You can find the full line up if you go here.
For the second day of Oilapalooza, and for the first time ever as part of Oilapalooza, we are planning what we call a "Full Deployment Drill". This is a big endeavor in and of itself, which we usually don't pair with another big event (like Oilapalooza). But this year we decided to bite the bullet and capitalize on this amazing training opportunity in a key location and at one of our Member Organizations, the California Living Museum (CALM). Our priorities for this drill are:
- Provide a “real-life” experience of a larger spill response to Oilapalooza attendees.
- Test the capability of the CALM facility for an inland response.
- Mentor OWCN responders in filling key roles with the Wildlife Branch.
- Evaluate OWCN equipment, policies, protocols, and technologies.
We are excited to see so many of our Network members next week! And if you didn't get a chance to attend this time around, we hope to see you at another event soon!
Kyra.