An FOSC's Guide to NOAA Scientific Support
Version 2, July 2010

This popular guidebook (revised in July 2010) was written for oil and chemical spill responders and Federal On-Scene Coordinators (FOSCs), and provides a quick reference to the range of scientific support services available through NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), Emergency Response Division (ERD, commonly known as "NOAA HAZMAT").

The new revised edition of this guidebook is available as portable document format (PDF) files, at right, in the following formats:

• An electronic version, with links to other files, Web sites, and e-mail addresses. These links, mostly contained in the appendices, take the user directly to those references (Internet connection required). The purpose of their inclusion is to provide a single, instant reference to the many products and services provided by NOAA's Emergency Response Division. This version can be printed on 8.5" x 11" paper. It is the best format for those who need an accessible version.
• A "booklet" version that you can print double-sided, then fold and staple to create a 5.5" x 8.5" booklet.

What's New in Version 2:

The guidebook has been updated and expanded.

It contains more live links to Web pages and other sections of the guide:

• Reference and link to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) An FOSC's Guide to Environmental Response.
• Reference and link to the Memorandum of Agreement between NOAA and the National Pollution Funds Center (NPFC) regarding funding for NOAA Scientific Support.

• NOAA support for international incidents.
• Dealing with marine debris.
• NOAA leadership within the National Response community, including the co-facilitation with the USCG of Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) workshops.
• Best Management Practice (BMP) for environmental resource protection.
• Consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Endangered Species Act (ESA).

• Chemical Reactivity Worksheet (CRW)
• Chemical Aquatic Fate and Effects Database (CAFÉ)
• Dispersant Mission Planner, version 2 (DMP2)
• Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®)
• NOAA Unit Converter for Oil Spill Response (NUCOS)

Obtaining NOAA Scientific Support

NOAA Scientific Support should be requested by an FOSC by contacting the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) assigned to their Coast Guard District. See Appendix 1 of the guidebook for SSC contact information.

More Information

Coast Guard ICS Forms The U.S. Coast Guard Homeport Web site offers all-risk/all-hazard ICS forms as PDF files and in Word/Excel formats. To access the forms on the Homeport site, enter "coast guard ics forms" in the Search box in the upper right section of the page.

The Emergency Response Division (ERD) Role in OR&R OR&R's Emergency Response Division (ERD) supports emergency response and restoration activities for oil and hazardous chemical spills, provides preparedness aids for response communities, and offers training on the scientific aspects of oil and chemical spill response.

Fact Sheets: ERD Products and Services One-page fact sheets about the products and services provided by OR&R's Emergency Response Division.

Job Aids for Spill Response Information and ordering instructions for NOAA OR&R's spill response Job Aids.

Training for Emergency Responders and Planners Workshops and self-study resources offered by NOAA OR&R to assist spill response professionals in local, state, and federal governments and industry.