Expressions of interest for Wildlife Response Training - COB Friday 27th January 2023

The Department of Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DELWP) are seeking expressions of interest to undertake the Wildlife Emergency Support Network (WESN) accredited training for response during fire events.

The WESN maintains a database of trained individuals available to be deployed by DELWP during an emergency. These individuals may then be deployed as part of DELWP led triage teams or field response teams.

Those defined roles include:

• Triage veterinarians
• Triage veterinary nurses
• Triage unit assistants/zookeeper
• Field assessment team veterinarian
• Field assessment team volunteers drawn from wildlife rescuers and authorised wildlife shelters and foster carers volunteer

Please note that individuals will be shortlisted for training against a number of criteria including the need to meet the requirements of the DELWP regional Model of Cover. This ensures that we are proactively preparing individuals to support response to wildlife emergencies within their own region. This also ensures robust team preparedness, utilisation of local knowledge and allows for familiarity with other WESN members in the same region through WESN engagement activities. However, volunteers who are prepared to travel for a deployment will not be excluded, rather it will be event dependent.

More information about the WESN can be found in the Victorian Response Plan For Wildlife Impacted by Fire.

If you would like more information, or would like to register your interest, please email the WESN Coordinator Fiona Ryan at fryan@zoo.org.au.

AVA is currently establishing the remuneration, terms and conditions around deployment.