&EPA
             United States
             Environmental Protection
             Agency
WARN TABLETOP EXERCISE
              LESSONS  LEARNED
        Sharing the Collective Wisdom
WARN TABLETOP EXERCISES
Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) tabletop exercises (TTXs) are discussion-based
exercises that bring WARN members together to address key issues and foster relationships between
WARN members and other emergency responders. In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) began providing support to plan and facilitate tabletop exercises for WARNs across the United
States.
The exercises are  an opportunity for individual state WARN
programs  to  evaluate  their  WARN  agreement  and  test
operational procedures. The fundamental goal of the training
sessions is to enhance a WARN's capability to respond to any
type  of incident requiring  specialized water and  wastewater
resources.
At the conclusion of each tabletop  exercise, a facilitator leads a "hotwash"  session, during which
participants identify lessons learned to improve their respective WARN programs and  response
protocols.
KEY LESSONS LEARNED
Many of the tabletop exercises conducted since 2006 have identified similar lessons learned that can
benefit any WARN program. Key lessons from the exercises are summarized below (not in priority
order):
   Develop and refine WARN operational plans - The tabletop exercises allow WARN members to
   critically review and exercise operational  plans.  For WARNs without an operational plan, the
   exercise often  illustrates the necessity of  an  operational plan which  outlines WARN  response
   protocols. Common improvements to enhance existing operational plans include better descriptions
   of roles and responsibilities, updating contact information, and revising forms. To complement the
   larger, more detailed operational plan, WARNs recognize the benefit of jobs aids such as a summary
   sheet of the operational plan as well as forms, checklists, and other support tools to use during a
   response. These job aids also help introduce new members to WARN protocols.

   Strengthen the connection to the emergency management community - WARNs recognize the
   benefit of promoting themselves within the local  emergency  management community  in order to
   increase awareness, encourage recognition and support for the  ongoing efforts of WARN programs,
                                           recruit new members, and improve integration with
                                           the emergency  services sector. After making contact
                                           with the local emergency management agency,  it is
                                           essential that WARNs and emergency management
                                           continue to communicate - maintaining  a  strong
                                           working relationship is an ongoing effort.
"WARNs should make contact -with each county director of
Emergency Management to request a water/wastewater seat
in the county EOC; WARNs should consider making a
presentation to the annual state association conferences for
city managers and police chiefs " - LaWARN TTX

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&EPA
              WARN TABLETOP EXERCISES LESSONS LEARNED
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    Conduct training specific  to  the  Emergency  Management Assistance  Compact  (EMAC) -
    Although most WARN exercises focus on  improving intrastate mutual  aid  procedures, there is
    sometimes  a  discussion of interstate mutual aid  which may be beneficial for utilities that border
    another state, or during larger incidents. WARNs can integrate interstate mutual aid and assistance
    capabilities into their programs  by having a better understanding of the EMAC process, which can
    be used to obtain resources from another state. Participating in EMAC training as well as working
    with local emergency management agencies  to foster relationships with state EMAC Coordinators
    can help build interstate capabilities.
    Continue  Incident  Command  System  (ICS)  training  -
    Familiarity with ICS  is a common lesson among the WARNs
    because use of ICS increases the ability of a WARN to fit into the
    local response structure and helps coordinate response activities
    with other groups.
                                                               "For a future WARN training or
                                                               exercise -we should include some
                                                               hands-on training, completing
                                                               some of the ICS forms needed for
                                                               reimbursement" - OhWARNTTX
    Implement accounting and documentation procedures - WARNs acknowledge the importance of
    documenting activities and expenses associated with emergency response that may be eligible for
    reimbursement. Member utilities need to implement procedures to
    manage and  document reimbursement expenses. Administrative
    personnel from utilities, including human resources, procurement,
    and  general  counsel, need  to  be  actively  involved  in  the
    development of their  WARN  programs,  as they will provide
    support to operations personnel.
                                                               "Forms -will be filled out in offices,
                                                               not by operational personnel, and
                                                               those people need to be trained
                                                               according to these forms in the
                                                               operational plan " - NCR WARN TTX
  "The exercise demonstrated need for
  resource typing and documentation "
  -ND WARN TTX
                              Incorporate  resource  management  and   resource  typing
                           concepts  -  Resource  typing  is  a  vital  component  of  mutual
                           aid/assistance. Exercise participants recognize the value of conducting
                           training and  exercises to help member utilities meet this National
Incident Management System  (NEVIS)  requirement and ensure that a utility in need receives the
exact type of resources necessary to respond to an emergency.

Update member utilities' emergency response plans - WARN member utilities often identify the
need to update their emergency response plans to  include details  about how and when to ask for
mutual aid/assistance, the process and  forms to use to request aid,  and how best to integrate the
                                incoming resources. Updating  emergency response plans also
                                provides the opportunity to inform  all  utility staff that their
                                facility is a WARN member.
  "I -will go back and review the Operational
  Plan and review our Emergency Response
  Plan to tie it into my WARN" - NyWARN TTX
    Conduct additional training and exercises - To sustain an effective program, WARN members
    acknowledge the need to continue to develop and conduct training on the Operational Plan. As a
    WARN continues to mature, WARN members  recommend conducting additional exercises of all
    types (discussion- and operations-based) in order to build on the
    results  of  the  tabletop  exercises  and  continue  to  foster
    relationships among participating organizations.
                                                               "It would be beneficial to have
                                                               mock type exercises that duplicate
                                                               an actual event" - OhWARN TTX
 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
 To learn more, please  contact WSD-outreach@epa.gov. Additional information  is also available at:
 http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecuritv/mutualaid/index.cfm
              Office of Water (4608-T) |  EPA 817-F-11-004  | April 2011  | www.epa.qov/watersecuritv

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