Rescue 101 Volunteer Frequently Asked Questions

The WIRES Volunteer Support Team has compiled a list of the frequently asked questions from the Rescue 101 Volunteer Feedback Form. If you have any questions that are not answered below, please email the Volunteer Support Team at rescue101@wires.org.au or call their direct line on 8977 3397.

Q1. I’m not sure what I signed up for. What is the Rescue 101 Program?

The Rescue 101 Program is designed to engage more people in wildlife volunteering by providing the knowledge and skills needed to start helping with native animal rescue and transport quickly.

Relatively simple rescues requiring quick animal transport for veterinary assistance are WIRES’ most common calls for help. As a Rescue 101 volunteer, you can rescue sick and injured birds, possums, lizards, freshwater turtles and frogs, and transport them to a vet for assessment and treatment, alleviating their suffering and giving them the best chance of survival.

Rescue 101 is suitable for those who would like to assist wildlife on a very flexible basis, as it gives volunteers maximum flexibility regarding how often they get involved and how many rescues they help with.

Q2. How do I gain confidence to attend rescues?

Attending your first rescue can be a daunting experience, so it is recommended that you start with simple rescues such as those where the animal is already contained and work your way towards rescues that require handling wildlife. Starting with contained animals, helps to relieve any pressure or fear associated with handling and containment, allowing you to focus on procedural aspects of the rescue. To identify rescues that are appropriate for your level of confidence, simply click on the xMatters alert to open it and view information about that rescue, such as if the animal is already contained in a box. Remember, once you click on “Respond” and “Accept” the rescue, you’ll receive a second notification with further details. More information about xMatters can be found in the xMatters User Instruction Guide.

Being prepared to attend a rescue is also important. Ensure you’ve got a basic rescue kit together which includes items such as a high vis safety vest, box, towel, gloves and hand sanitiser, remembering to consider the size and species of animal in need of rescue. Revisit your Rescue 101 Manual in Tall Emu, to refresh your knowledge.

For more information about getting started, check out the Rescue 101 recorded webinars, available on the Rescue 101 Volunteer Webpage.

Q3. Is a hard copy Rescue 101 Training Manual available?

Yes. You can purchase a hard copy of the manual from the Training Team. Simply email training@wires.org.au to request a copy. A digital copy is available for free in your Tall Emu account.

Q4. I feel limited in what I can do as a Rescue 101 volunteer and would like to do more for wildlife such as provide care and attend more complex rescues. How can I be more involved as a wildlife volunteer?

If you feel that you are ready to receive more alerts on xMatters, including alerts for more species and more complex rescues and you would like to provide immediate care to wildlife for up to 24-hours and access further training such as species-specific courses, we encourage you to enrol into the Immediate Care Course (ICC). Upon completion, you will become a WIRES member and be introduced to your local WIRES branch members. For information about the ICC including how to enrol, click here or contact training@wires.org.au.

Q5. I need help sourcing a suitable rescue carrier. Where can I purchase these and what do you recommend?

You can purchase plastic lockable carriers and collapsible corflute carriers online. Prices vary from $10 to $50 (not including postage) depending on what style of carrier you purchase and where you purchase it from. Please email rescue101@wires.org.au for recommendations.

Q6. Why am I receiving xMatters alerts for locations that are not close to where I live?

WIRES volunteers are split up into 28 regions, known as “branches”, across the state of NSW. All Rescue 101 volunteers are allocated to a branch area in xMatters and will receive all Rescue 101-appropriate alerts for that branch area. In instances where a rescue location lies on the border of 2 or more branch areas, the rescue alert may be sent to all bordering branches to capture all volunteers local to that area, e.g., a rescue in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs may also be sent to volunteers allocated to Sydney’s Inner West area.

If you are receiving alerts for rescues that are significant distances away it simply means that we have exhausted all resources locally to assist with the rescue. Simply ignore any alerts that you are not able to attend due to distance.

Q7. Are there face-to-face workshops for Rescue 101?

No. The Rescue 101 Course is a short course, completed solely online. If you are interested in attending a face-to-face workshop, you should enrol into the ICC which includes a workshop component. For more information, click here.

Q8. Is there a buddy system for Rescue 101?

Not currently. Rescue 101 volunteers who feel that they would benefit from the support of fellow volunteers, should complete the Immediate Care Course (ICC) which is the pathway to becoming a WIRES Member and being involved in a broader capacity within the WIRES Membership community. Rescue 101 volunteers can contact the Volunteer Support Team for advice and support by emailing rescue101@wires.org.au or calling 8977 3397.

Please note that should you arrive at a rescue location and assess the situation as requiring more than one volunteer, or is outside the scope of what you are trained to handle, contact the WRO immediately on 8977 3309. If a rescue requires two or more volunteers, it is not suitable for Rescue 101.

Q. How do I order the free WIRES safety vest?

Each volunteer is eligible to receive one complimentary high visibility safety vest. The order form is included in the Rescue 101 Welcome Email that each volunteer receives shortly after completion of their training. For convenience, you can find the form here. Simply complete the form and a vest will be posted to you.

Q10. Why do I receive rescue alerts for only very sick and injured animals?

WIRES is a wildlife rescue service. Our volunteers do not rescue healthy wildlife although WIRES members (who have completed the further training) are eligible to attend the location of healthy wildlife to provide advice and make assessments. WIRES Rescue 101 volunteers are the frontline volunteers for wildlife in need, therefore are authorised to attend rescues where the animal requires urgent transport to a vet.

The role can be confronting at times, but animal welfare is at the core of WIRES’ mission. Rescue 101 volunteers are trained to contain and transport sick and injured wildlife in urgent need of vet assessment, treatment or euthanasia. To learn more about attending a broader range of rescues and wildlife assessments, you must complete the ICC which gives you access to further training courses. For more information, click here or contact training@wires.org.au.

Q11. Do I have to call the vet to follow up on wildlife I have dropped off at the clinic?

No. Once a Rescue 101 volunteer has dropped an animal at a vet clinic and reported it to the WIRES Rescue Office (WRO) via the volunteer VIP line (8977 3309) the volunteer’s job is done. It is the responsibility of the WRO to follow up with vets – the WRO Phone Coordinators follow up on every single animal that is transported to a vet. If you would like an update on a particular animal, please contact the WRO via email on rescue@wires.org.au and quote the callsheet number. Please note that the WRO prioritise urgent rescues of sick, injured and orphaned wildlife so you may not receive an immediate reply and your patience is appreciated. WIRES has approximately 4,000 volunteers across NSW rescuing tens of thousands of animals every year, so we ask that our volunteers do not contact vets directly for updates on wildlife.

Q12. What do I do if I get “stuck” with an animal? For example, the local vet clinic is unexpectedly closed, or the vet is at capacity and cannot take the animal?

Try to call ahead to let the vet know you’re coming where it is possible and appropriate to do so. In any circumstance where you are unable to transport an animal to a vet or the vet is unable to take the animal, contact the WRO immediately on the volunteer VIP line (8977 3309). In every situation that deviates from Rescue 101 procedure, contact the WRO immediately and await further instructions.

Please note that Rescue 101 volunteers are not trained to release wildlife. Some vets may not be aware of WIRES procedures, and they may ask you to release wildlife or pick up wildlife from their clinic at a later time. Please politely decline requests of this nature and kindly ask the vet staff to contact the WRO VIP Line (8977 3309) to request assistance from the WRO to coordinate an appropriately trained WIRES Member to attend.

Q13. What do I do if I attend a rescue and the animal is already deceased?

It is not the responsibility of WIRES volunteers to attend to or dispose of deceased wildlife.

When calling a MOP prior to attending a rescue, in some circumstances, it may be appropriate to ask them if they’re comfortable to check if the animal is still alive. Ask the MOP to observe signs of life such as breathing or movement, using PPE where it is appropriate to do so.

If the animal is deceased and located on private property, you can instruct the MOP to either bury the animal on their property, or place the animal in two plastic bags, tied tightly, and dispose of the body in their council bin. If the animal is deceased but located on council property, i.e., on the roadside or council strip, the MOP should report this to their local council who will collect the deceased animal.

Next, contact the WRO (8977 3309) to report that the animal is deceased and the outcome of any pouch checks. Refer to the Rescue 101 Manual to refresh your knowledge of pouch checking.

Q14. What if more than one person is needed for a rescue?

If you arrive at a rescue location and you are unable to complete the rescue alone, please contact the WRO immediately on 8977 3309 to let them know and do not continue with the rescue as it is no longer appropriate for Rescue 101.

Q15. When I accept a rescue on xMatters, the Confirmation Alert disappears so I can’t find the information I need to attend the rescue or update the WRO.

When you accept an xMatters alert, the alert will disappear from the ACTIVE rescues tab and move to the ALL rescues tab. You will then receive a Confirmation Alert within approximately 30-seconds which will appear in your ACTIVE rescues tab where it will stay for 10-minutes before moving to the ALL rescues tab. You can access the ALL rescues tab at any time to find the information you need.

TIP: take a screenshot of the Confirmation Alert upon opening so that you have it handy in your photo album in case you can’t access the app (such as in areas where internet signal is poor).

Q16. What if the animal appears healthy and I feel that it does not require rescue or transport to a veterinarian?

If you attend a rescue and believe that it may not require veterinary intervention or that the situation may benefit from a trained WIRES Member assessing the animal, contact the WRO immediately (8977 3309), communicate your observations to the WRO Phone Coordinator and await their instructions.

If possible, and without causing further stress to the animal, take photos and inform the WRO Phone Coordinator that you have photos of the animal that you can share with them. This will help them assess the situation further.

Q17. What if I see an alert on xMatters that is not appropriate for Rescue 101?

It is important that you know your limitations as a Rescue 101 volunteer. You are authorised to rescue and transport birds (not including raptors), possums, lizards (not including monitors), freshwater turtles and frogs. Any xMatters alerts requesting an assessment or picking up an animal from a vet (vet-pick-up), or alerts for species outside of Rescue 101 authorisation and training, are not appropriate for Rescue 101. Please ignore these types of alerts (you can assist the WRO by reporting alerts that are not suitable for Rescue 101 volunteers by contacting them on the Volunteer VIP Line: 8977 3309).

If you accidentally accept an alert on xMatters that is not appropriate for Rescue 101, please call the WRO immediately so that they can resend the alert to the appropriate group of volunteers on xMatters.

Q18. What do I do if I arrive at a rescue location and I can’t find the animal?

It is not uncommon to arrive to a rescue location and the reported animal has disappeared. In these cases, please make sure you have thoroughly checked the surrounding area before contacting the WRO on the Volunteer VIP Line (8977 3309) to report the animal as having disappeared before rescue. It is very important to update the WRO so that the case can be closed off and resources can be reallocated to active cases.

Q19. Are there opportunities to meet other volunteers face-to-face?

From time to time, the Volunteer Support Team hosts webinars for Rescue 101 volunteers, where you can ask questions and interact with the Volunteer Support Team.

The Team also hosts a Virtual Morning Tea during National Volunteer Week where both Rescue 101 Volunteers and WIRES Members are invited to attend. There are guest speakers and prizes to give away. It is great to see Rescue 101 volunteers at the morning tea, and it is a fantastic way for everyone (Rescue 101 volunteers, WIRES members and Head Office staff alike) to connect in such a positive way. Here is the recording for the National Volunteer Week 2023 Virtual Morning Tea.

In order to become involved in the WIRES branch community in your area and engage with other volunteers, you will need to become a WIRES Member. To become a WIRES Member, you must enrol into, and competently complete, the Immediate Care Course (ICC). Find out more about the ICC on the Rescue 101 Volunteer Webpage.

Q20. Who do I contact if I need help accessing Tall Emu or xMatters?

Contact the Volunteer Support Team via email (rescue101@wires.org.au) or phone (8977 3397).