WIRES Rescue 101 Volunteer Terms & Conditions

Each person must read this information before completing their applications for WIRES volunteering or WIRES volunteer renewal.

The Licence to Rehabilitate Injured, Sick and Orphaned Protected Animals (Licence No MWL000100285) is granted to Wildlife Information Rescue & Education Service Ltd. (WIRES) by the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS), a directorate of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (formerly the Office of Environment and Heritage NSW) in accordance with the provisions of Part 2 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (NSW).

Under the Licence, WIRES is (amongst other things) authorised to rescue and rehabilitate nominated Australian native wildlife. As a WIRES volunteer, you will have authority to rescue, and transport nominated Australian native wildlife.

Declaration by Volunteer:

You must carefully read all the Conditions of WIRES Volunteering below and ensure that you meet those conditions if you wish to apply or to renew your WIRES Rescue 101 volunteer authorisation.

If you do not meet all the Conditions of WIRES volunteering below, then you must apply to the Board of WIRES for special permission to join or renew your WIRES volunteer authorisation. The Board of WIRES may, at its sole and exclusive discretion, grant or deny such permission.

If you do not meet all the Conditions of WIRES volunteering below, you can apply to the Board of WIRES for special permission to renew, at rescue101@wires.org.au

Each application for WIRES volunteer authorisation renewal is subject to the sole and unfettered discretion of the Board of WIRES. A decision will be made and communicated to you.

Conditions of WIRES Volunteering:

• You do not currently hold any authorisation or licence from NPWS (other than by virtue of your volunteer authorisation of WIRES Ltd.)
• You are not a member of an organisation or entity that does work which is similar to the work carried out by WIRES Ltd.
• You have never had your authorisation or Membership terminated, suspended or refused renewal by WIRES or any Organisation that does similar work to WIRES.
• You have not been convicted of an offence under the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 or any other similar legislation.  
• You have not ever been convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment for 12 months or more in NSW or elsewhere. 
• Under applicable privacy laws, we are required to seek your permission before passing any of your personal information to relevant parties, except that such permission is not required when passing your personal information to the WIRES Rescue Office (WRO ). When you first joined WIRES, you gave us permission to disclose to the WRO, your basic personal information (being your name, address, email address and phone number). You agree to update WIRES with any changes to your basic personal information from time to time and you agree to continue to permit WIRES to disclose to the WRO, your basic personal information as it may be updated from time to time.
• You are of good character and a fit and proper person, suitable for WIRES volunteering.

By proceeding to join WIRES or renew WIRES Volunteer Authorisation, the volunteer agrees to:

• Abide by the policies, procedures, guidelines and codes (as outlined in the Rescue 101 Training Manual) of Wildlife Information Rescue & Education Service Ltd. (WIRES) and undertake not to contravene wildlife or animal cruelty laws, such as the National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979. All native animals remain the property of the Crown, whether alive or dead.
• Report the outcome of all rescues to the WIRES Rescue Office (WRO) upon the completion of each rescue.
• Only rescue and provide immediate transport for sick or injured native wildlife and at no times hold native animals or take native animals into care for any period of time unless under strict advisement from the WRO. Further to this agreement, please read ‘Responsibilities of a Wildlife Volunteer’ in the Rescue 101 Training Manual.
• Comply with directions given by the WRO or Rescue 101 Coordinator regarding the rescue, transport or fate of animals being rescued. Non-compliance with WRO and Rescue 101 Coordinator instructions may result in withdrawal of authorisation or expulsion as a WIRES Volunteer. In all these matters the holder has agreed to abide by the determinations of WIRES Ltd.
• Take full responsibility for any WIRES equipment held and acknowledge that the said equipment shall always remain the property of WIRES.
• Pay the annual WIRES Volunteer Authorisation Fee (where applicable) to cover Insurance and administration costs.  
• If for any reason the holder resigns or has his/her authorisation cancelled, he/she agrees to return all items belonging to WIRES to WIRES Head Office or other nominated contact.
• All WIRES volunteers must permit WIRES and authorised NPWS officers to inspect dwellings, equipment, and fauna held under WIRES license.
• WIRES volunteers must notify WIRES Head Office immediately, so that they can notify NPWS, should they encounter a non-native (exotic) reptile in a WIRES rescue situation.

WIRES Policies

Clear policies and procedures are required in order for WIRES to operate efficiently, comply with current legislation and to ensure high standards of care. These guidelines set out how volunteers should conduct themselves as representatives of the organisation, and how they should deal with the animals that they are rescuing, handling and/or transporting under the Rescue 101 program. All the policies have been written to comply with the conditions prescribed by the Office of Environment and Heritage.

It is the responsibility of every volunteer to ensure that they adhere to the requirements outlined in the WIRES Rescue 101 Volunteer Terms and Conditions to a satisfactory standard. These policies are available in the Rescue 101 Training Manual.

Responsibilities of WIRES Rescue 101 Volunteer

As a WIRES Rescue 101 volunteer, you are authorised to rescue and transport animals that require rescue assistance as deemed by the WIRES Rescue Office.

The following list is not exhaustive but outlines general rules applicable to WIRES volunteers.

• Your duties as a WIRES volunteer does not mean you are able to trespass, if you are asked to leave by the property owner, you must do so immediately.
• If you become aware of a native animal in a difficult or threatened situation, you should call the WIRES Head Office. WIRES Head Office will then notify the appropriate authorities.
• Rescue 101 Volunteers are not authorised to hold native animals in permanent care. If you have accepted a rescue and the animal is now unable to be transported to a veterinary practice or the animal is considered a high-risk species (e.g., snakes, bats, raptors, large mammals or monitors), you must call the WIRES Head Office immediately to resolve.
• In rescue, rehabilitation and release of native animals, euthanasia is an acceptable outcome.
• No person under 18 is permitted to handle WIRES animals and legal liability prevents you from allowing a non-WIRES person to assist in handling or rescuing animals.
• Carry your Digital ID card and your current WIRES authorisation when attending rescues.
• Do not engage in climbing activities other than a ladder less than two metres high in accordance with current WHS guidelines.
• No volunteer may carry dual authorisation by WIRES and another rehabilitation organisation that carries out similar work.
• It is a legal requirement of the WIRES authority to lodge data pertaining to rescued animals and it is the responsibility of individual volunteers to ensure this information is reported to Head Office. The information you collect is important for several reasons:
• To alert the Australian Wildlife Health Network (AWHN) of possible disease outbreak 4th Edition 13 September 2022.
• To collect information on threatened species and species distribution.
• To identify areas of high risk e.g., roadkill data. This can assist in decisions such as where to place wildlife warning signs.
• Regular contact between volunteers and the WIRES Head Office is important
• It is likely that wildlife rescuers will come into contact at some stage with animals that are suffering from diseases or illnesses that can be zoonotic (passed from animal to human).
• The role of a wildlife rescuer can involve ongoing exposure to stressful and challenging situations that may result in compassion fatigue or burnout if not appropriately managed.
• Regardless of the role, no volunteer is required to carry out any task where the risk to themselves or any other person is considered unacceptable.
• Wildlife rescuers should conduct all business and activities in a professional manner with honesty, integrity, compassion and commitment, realising that an individual's conduct reflects on the group they are part of, and the entire field of wildlife rehabilitation.
• Wildlife rescuers should treat others involved in the sector (rescuers, rehabbers, vets, industry professionals and WIRES Head Office representatives) with respect in the spirit of cooperation for the welfare of native fauna.
• A wildlife rescuer should strive to provide professional and humane care in all phases of the rescue process, respecting the animal's wildness and maintaining the dignity of each animal in life and death.
• You may come across hazardous chemicals including disinfectant substances (i.e., Virkon-S and F10SC) that can pose WHS risks to people, wildlife and the environment. You have a duty to identify, assess and control risks associated with chemical use, as well as report spillages or incidents to the relevant authorities in the instance these occur.

WIRES Reserves The Right:

• To not authorise any individual whose rescue and operational standards, philosophies and attitudes are not compatible with those of WIRES; 
• To have the final decision regarding the fate of an animal;
• To withdraw the authority of any volunteer if their handling, rescue and transporting practices become detrimental to the welfare of an animal or the operations of the organisation. 

WIRES Work, Health and Safety (WHS) and You

WIRES must meet its obligations to its volunteers; so far as is reasonably practicable, to provide a safe and healthy workplace and does this by the following means:

• Providing policies and procedures
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Safety vest available for purchase at a discounted price and advice on specific PPE required for various species rescues
• Training and Instruction – WHS information provided in all WIRES courses
• Providing access to a Volunteer Support Manager who can provide information and support in regard to WHS, WIRES procedures, and grievance matters. The Volunteer Support Manager is contactable at vsm@wires.org.au
• Interpersonal and species risk information

By joining WIRES or renewing your WIRES volunteer authorisation, you are agreeing:

• That you have read and understand WIRES Rescue 101 WHS Procedures and Considerations (as covered in the Rescue 101 Training Course and the Rescue 101 Training Manual);
• That you will read and abide by important WHS updates as they become available;
• That you will take reasonable care that your own acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons;
• That you will ensure that you only attend rescues and volunteer activities in which you have been appropriately trained to undertake, are within your medical and physical capacity to be carried out safely, where you have the appropriate equipment and resources to do the task correctly and safely and have conducted a comprehensive risk assessment and applied appropriate risk controls.

WIRES Insurance and You

WIRES Ltd. maintains a personal accident and injury insurance policy on behalf of its volunteers as well as a public liability policy. The insurance policy provides limited cover in the event of death or disablement of a volunteer in the pursuit of WIRES Ltd. business.
Volunteers should be aware of the following points:

• Rescue 101 volunteers are not insured or authorised to rescue the following species: flying-foxes, microbats, large mammals, raptors, snakes and monitors.
• Non-authorised members of the public are not covered by WIRES insurance and MUST NOT be involved in rescue of native animals.
• No cover is provided for sickness / illness.
• Authorised volunteers are covered for necessary travel to and from authorised WIRES activities however volunteers’ vehicles and personal possessions are NOT covered by the Policy.
• In the event of injury, all medical costs must be recovered from other sources where possible e.g., Medicare and/or private insurance. Insurance does not cover any “gaps” between treatment costs and payments from other sources.
• Claims resulting from pre-existing injuries are excluded.
• If a volunteer does not renew their  volunteer authorisation by 31st March each year, they are no longer a volunteer of WIRES Ltd. They are therefore no longer covered under WIRES Ltd. insurance policies and no longer authorised to rescue and transport Australian native animals.

A copy of the current WIRES Volunteer Personal Accident Insurance Table of Conditions can be provided on request.

Your Privacy and WIRES Ltd.

WIRES Ltd. collects the following information from you:

• Personal details including your: Name, Address, Phone Numbers, Email address, Date of birth and Occupation.
• Details of any previous membership of like organisations and any suspensions or terminations of membership.
• Convictions of an offence under National Parks and Wildlife Act, Cruelty to Animals Act, or any other relevant legislation.
• Health and allergy information where appropriate
• Emergency contact details
• Availability for rescues and available equipment.
• Experience and skills including wildlife courses attended and course dates.

WIRES Ltd. believes it is necessary for the proper functioning and good governance of the Association to collect this information. WIRES Ltd. will only use this information to further the organisation’s objectives. Where required volunteer details may be shared with external organisations such as NPWS.

Certain information must be collected to ensure that a volunteer can act as a rescuer within the network of volunteers, and other information is required to facilitate communication. WIRES will not disclose this information to any non-volunteer, unless required to do so by an officer of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, or other law enforcement officer, or by a Court of Law.

It is compulsory that you read and understand this prior to proceeding with your enrolment, renewal and before commencing any wildlife rescue or transport activities.

Certain emails sent to our volunteers are classified as transactional communications. These emails are essential as they provide important information related to your volunteering with WIRES: including important updates and notices that are integral to your volunteering experience. As these communications are necessary, they are not subject to unsubscribe options. By continuing to volunteer with WIRES, you acknowledge and accept that you will continue to receive these transactional emails.