‘Vessels of Opportunity’ training in Bay St. Louis today

Interested boat owners who missed the Vessels of Opportunity program training on Thursday at the Biloxi Community Center, can attend a training session today at 1 p.m. at Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis.

Participants in the Vessel of Opportunity program assist the response by manning boats in a variety of activities, including transporting supplies, assisting with wildlife rescue, as well as towing and deploying absorbent booms.

The four-hour training covers such areas as oil spill response safety, boom towing and handling, and vessel coordination. In addition to the training, operators need to meet some key requirements including passing a dockside examination by the U.S. Coast Guard and meeting crewing requirements based on the size of the vessel provided to qualify for the program. Eligible vessels will be compensated for their assistance.