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Qualified Community Responders (QCR)

Download the Qualified Community Responder Fact Sheet (pdf, 76KB)

Download the Qualified Community Responder Frequently Asked Questions (pdf, 78KB)

Download the Qualified Community Responder vs. Volunteers Presentation (pdf, 1.2MB)

What is a Qualified Community Responder?

BP is working in conjunction with the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Florida and their unemployment agencies to identify individuals who want to be trained to be ready to help prevent, respond to and mitigate the impact of oil contamination on the shoreline.

BP is building a team of 4,100 Qualified Community Responders (QCRs) to help with clean-up efforts in oil-contaminated areas in Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Gulf Coast. Should oil reach southern shores, the QCRs will receive training and be prepared to jump into action, protecting local beaches. This is a reserve corps of individuals who reside in the county in which they will be working should a need arise.

What is a volunteer?

A volunteer is an individual who has offered his time and service without any expectation of payment. There are many opportunities for volunteers to help in the oil spill clean-up effort, but volunteers will only be permitted to help in non-contaminated areas.

What are the main differences between the volunteer and QCR programs?

According to federal regulations governing oil spill response, volunteers are not allowed near oil-contaminated areas, but properly trained QCRs are allowed in oil-contaminated areas. Volunteers are not paid, but QCRs are paid when they are activated for beach cleaning. Volunteers receive 30 to 45 minutes of environmental and safety training, but QCRs must go through 4 to 40 hours of training, depending on the tasks they perform. The volunteer program operates under the direction of each state, but the QCR program operates under the direction of BP.

What does a Qualified Community Responder do?

Qualified Community Responders will perform shoreline cleanup activities that may include:

• carrying or handling materials and supplies;
• raking or shoveling debris;
• with proper training, operating bobcats or power washers to clean rocks and beach areas;
• wiping or washing oil covered items; and
• removing trash and other debris.

Who can become a Qualified Community Responder?

To ensure the safety of our workforce, all QCR team members must meet the following basic requirements:

1. Successful completion of:

• A drug and alcohol test;
• A background investigation; and
• Training.

2. Ability to:

• Stand for long periods of time;
• Walk long distances; and
• Perform repetitive bending and lifting activities.

3. Availability to respond with short notice and work as many as 80 hours within a seven-day period.

4. Photo identification, proof of residency and eligibility to work in the United States is required.

How do I apply?

• Find a local career center and fill out an employment application. A list of local career centers is available at http://www.floridajobs.org/onestop/onestopdir/OneStopDirList.asp. Online applications are available at the following addresses:

  Escambia & Santa Rosa Counties
  Okaloosa & Walton Counties
  Bay, Gulf, Franklin County
  Wakulla County

• You will be directed to a medical facility for a drug and alcohol screening.
• You will be scheduled for training and your profile will be submitted for a background check.
• This process should be complete within two business days. You will receive payment for your time within two weeks.

Hiring Process

When the results of all testing have been received, you will be notified of your status. Successful candidates may be hired, assigned QCR teams based on location, and called to action as needed. Unsuccessful candidates will still be paid for the time that they spent training. However, even if you pass all required tests, there is no guarantee that you will be hired as a QCR. After you have been trained, there is no guarantee that you will have the opportunity to work. The start date, work schedule, and number of QCRs deployed will be determined by the action required in your specific area. Only those QCRs that are specifically called to action will have an opportunity to work and be compensated for their service. Whether or not oil reaches the shore, all QCRs will be paid for their training time.

Communications

Once trained, you will receive emails and phone messages to keep you informed of the activities in your area. You will also be given a toll-free phone number to call for daily updates.