5 Reasons Virtual Wildlife Hazard Management Training Is Trending

It’s hard to believe that two years ago the world started dealing with the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic that is still lingering as we enter 2022. The way we travel, eat at restaurants, conduct business has all changed dramatically, even our kids schooling, sports, and social lives have altered all with the one thing in mind and that is safety! Airports around the world and especially here in the United States have been meeting and planning for potentially another shut down. With new strains of C-19 (Delta and Omicron variants) spreading and a huge spike in positive test results, we could be in for stricter travel mandates, or even travel bans to help prevent the spread of this virus.

In late 2019 the FAA granted Airport Wildlife Biologists and privately owned companies like Loomacres Wildlife Management temporary approval to conduct WHMP reviews and P-139 Airport Wildlife Hazard Training and Identification courses virtually. By utilizing platforms like Zoom, Join.me and Microsoft teams, required Airport Personnel have been able to meet the annual requirements for Wildlife Hazard Management Training.  

When the pandemic first hit and shutdown was in place as well as the travel ban, we noticed several airports put training on the back burner, rightfully so. However, as the ban started to slowly lift and airports needed to fulfill their Wildlife Training requirements, virtual training took off. After a year of refining our curriculum and material, here are some of the reasons Airports have chosen to do their P-139 Wildlife Hazard Training as well as their Wildlife Hazard Management Plan Review online rather than in person.

1. Health and Safety: Without a doubt the health and safety of employees is extremely important, especially considering the fall out of an employee testing positive for Covid. Depending on state regulations a positive test can result in weeks of quarantine. By having your staff complete their training from the comfort of home or office you limit the risk of exposure.
2. Convenience: The traditional training required a Certified Airport Wildlife Biologist to conduct in-person training, which Loomacres still offers for several clients that prefer it. The one drawback to this was trying to get your entire staff to be in training at the same time. This can be challenging for airports that have multiple shifts to deal with. By utilizing virtual training your employees can attend a training when they are available. This works great with airports that have A, B, and C shifts. Also, we’ve seen a lot of requests from our clients hiring new employees that need to be certified and trained on Wildlife Identification and Wildlife Management.
3. Cost Effective: With online training, Airports no longer must pay for travel expenses if employees are attending training at an offsite location. Also, most companies factor in the travel expenses of their Biologist to conduct the training class at your airport. This will drive the cost of training up and let’s be honest, budgets aren’t exactly loose right now.
4. Networking: Most of our online trainings have attendees from multiple airports all over the country. This allows virtual training participants to share what works for them, techniques, stories, and knowledge. It is not uncommon for participants to bounce several ideas off one another making the class extremely interactive.
5. Updated Training Curriculum: No one likes the same training year after year on the same topics. We take pride in having the most up to date and pertinent training class in the industry. Our trainers often revise their training material routinely based on the feedback of the class and real time regulation changes. Each training is customized to address the needs and concerns of the host airport after our Biologist reviews their WHMP.  Below is a list of the most common training topics covered by Loomacres Wildlife Managements training team.

 

• Drone Management       Online Permit Process    Pyrotechnic Safety           Firearm Safety
• Trapping Techniques      Bird ID            Control Techniques         Strike Reporting
• State Regulations             Federal Regulations         Habitat Modification       Attractants Control

To book your airport’s online training or to speak to someone at Loomacres Wildlife Management please fill out the fields below and someone will contact you in a timely manner.

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