Mutual Aid and Assistance
in the Water Sector
WARN is one of three possible mutual aid/assistance mechanisms
Water
Emergency
Occurs
WATER UTILITY:
- Assesses impact of emergency
- Determines if resources are sufficient
- Deploys available resources
- Identifies need for mutual aid/assistance
Mutual Response
Agreements with
local/neighbor utilities
(access to other
local utility resources,
per agreement)
Water/Wastewater Agency
Response Network (WARN)
(access to public and private
signatory utilities)
Organized and facilitated
at county, state's regions and
statewide levels.
Statewide
Mutual Aid Agreement
for all resources
(law, fire, medical, public works, etc.)
Organized and managed at
county, state's regions and
statewide levels.
WARN does not require a declaration and includes both public and private utilities.
Mutual Aid and Assistance Alternatives
During an emergency, a utility needs to determine the best alternatives to address its
response needs. Alternatives could include three possible mutual aid or assistance mecha-
nisms: contacting neighboring utilities with whom they have pre-written and established
agreements; using public agency statewide mutual aid and assistance programs; or accessing
the water/wastewater mutual aid and assistance program formally known as WARN.
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Water/Wastewater Agency Response Networks (WARN):
Utilities Helping Utilities
Floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, terrorist threats.
Drinking water and wastewater utilities are taking action to ensure continuity of
operations and fast response when disaster strikes. Water/Wastewater Agency
Response Networks are being formed in states across the U.S., enabling public and
private utilities to share personnel, resources, and equipment during emergencies.
Emergency Timeline and Mutual Aid
WARN Mutual Aid
Statewide
Local M * i A-J
... .... Mutual Aid
Initial Pe-oon-e Mutual Aid
/\ (^ "\
( ^
^^^^^^B ^
Emergency Response Recovery
Occurs
WARN reduces the response "gap" between local and statewide mutual aid.
Why WARN Works
- Expedites arrival of aid and access to specialized resources
- Improves planning and coordination
- Can be activated prior to an emergency declaration
- A single agreement links all statewide utilities together
- Agreement addresses member indemnification, workers'compensation, and reimbursement
- Membership includes private and public utilities
- Member utilities can recall their resources as needed
- Participation is voluntary, there is no cost to participate
- Meets federal reimbursement requirements to have a pre-disaster agreement in place
- Consistent with National Incident Management System (NIMS)
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10 Steps to Develop a WARN
Follow these broad steps to establish a WARN in your state.
1. Identify interest in starting a program
2. Form an Initial Leadership Team
3. Prepare a kickoff session
4. Establish a Steering Committee
5. Identify a mission for the program and goals for the
Steering Committee
6. Determine need to use state's regions
7. Identify mutual aid and assistance activation criteria
8. Draft an agreement (includes information on steps 4,6, and 7)
9. Create facilitation tools
10. Maintain the program
Full
Support
from
Water Sector
Groups supporting WARN include:
American Waterworks Association (AWWA)
Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA)
Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA)
Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control
Administrators (ASIWPCA)
National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA)
National Association of Water Companies (NAWC)
National Rural Water Association (NRWA)
Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Water Environment Federation
(WEF)
This poster was developed by EPA in cooperation with water sector stakeholders.
For more information, contact:
JOHN WHITLER, USEPA, whitler.john@epa.gov
www.NationalWARN.org
Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-H-08-001 I March 2009 I www.epa.gov/watersecurity
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