Attachment_3_Marine_Mammal_Hotline_Services_Answering_Script.pdf
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- Attached to
- West Coast Region Marine Mammal Hotline Service
- Solicitation number
- 1305M326Q0082
About this file
This document is a customer service script for the NOAA Whale Hotline, designed to guide operators in responding to reports of whales in distress or entanglement. The script establishes an initial screening question to determine call relevance, with instructions to terminate calls unrelated to whale distress or entanglement. For qualifying calls, operators systematically collect caller information including name, phone number, and company affiliation, followed by whale-specific details such as species, location, last sighting time, and current status.
The script directs operators to gather environmental and observational data critical to response coordination, including weather and sea state conditions, the whale's last known direction, and whether the caller can safely remain in the vicinity. The closing instructions establish protocol for follow-up by authorized NOAA Fisheries responders and provide safety guidance to callers, including directives to maintain distance from the animal, avoid independent disentanglement attempts, contact the U.S. Coast Guard via VHF Channel 16 for vessel emergencies, and document the entanglement through photographs, videos, or sketches detailing gear types, lines, floats, and colors. This script serves as a standardized operational procedure for hotline staff managing marine wildlife emergency reports.
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Text version
NOAA Whale Hotline Script
Account Script:
ANSWER PHRASE: Good morning/afternoon/evening, You have reached the large whale disentanglement hotline, this is _____. Is this regarding a whale in distress or entangled?
If no: This hotline is for whales in distress or entangled. I am unable to assist if you are calling for any other reason. Thank you for calling.
If yes: Proceed
May I have your first and last name please?
May I have your phone number please?
What type of whale was it? (If known)
May I have the name of your boat? (If applicable)
What company are you calling from?
May I have the location of the entangled whale?
What was the time of the last sighting?
Is the whale still alive?
Are you still within sighting distance?
What direction is/was the animal heading the last time you saw it?
What is the weather/sea state like at the location of the whale?
Can you safely remain with the whale for some time?
- If so: How long?
CLOSING: Thank you for reporting this entangled animal. We will contact a NOAA fisheries representative to relay your report and contact information. An authorized responder will contact you to confirm the available information and advise you on next steps. If you remain in the vicinity of the whale, please observe from a distance and do not attempt disentanglement on your own. If a vessel safety emergency develops, contact the U.S. coast guard via vhf channel 16. Please document the entanglement in any way that you can, such as taking photos or videos, or sketching a picture of how the animal is entangled including colors, lines, floats and types of gear if possible.
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .