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Mutual Aid and Assistance
About PDF Files
In coordination with the water sector, the Environmental Protection Agency is
supporting a number of projects to promote the use of mutual aid and assistance
in response to any event that overwhelms a utility's resources.
Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN)
A Water and Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) is an intrastate
network of "utilities helping utilities" to respond to and recover from
emergencies by sharing resources with one another. The WARN framework provides a
forum for maintaining emergency contacts, providing expedited access to
specialized resources, and facilitating training on resource exchange during an
emergency. The American Water Works Association published a white paper,
titled Utilities Helping Utilities: An
Action Plan for Mutual Aid and Assistance Networks for Water and Wastewater
Utilities,
to provide utilities with the basic building blocks for
developing a successful WARN.
At the heart of WARN is a standardized Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement,
which outlines the terms through which utilities provide resources to one
another. The agreement covers key issues such as indemnification, workers
compensation, and reimbursement. The resolution of these issues in advance
expedites resource sharing between utilities during emergencies.
With the agreement in place, a WARN can begin to build a framework of
supporting components, shown in Figure 1. Utilities can execute a WARN Operational Plan, which can outline the processes and procedures member utilities use to activate and implement their WARN Agreement. To validate and improve their operational plan, utilities conduct preparedness
exercises. To provide utilities with sample exercise materials they can use to
conduct a tabletop exercise specific to their WARN, EPA developed the
Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN): Tabletop Exercise Facilitator
Guide.
Figure 1. Framework of the WARN Initiative
- Utilities Helping Utilities: An Action Plan for Mutual Aid and Assistance
Networks for Water and Wastewater Utilities
The Utilities Helping Utilities white paper provides a ten-step process for
creating and implementing a mutual aid and assistance program. The white paper
highlights key components of existing WARNs and contains a sample mutual aid
agreement that meets all requirements of the National Incident Management
System (NIMS).
- Sample Mutual Aid Agreement
This Model Agreement contains procedures and standards for a water and
wastewater utility Mutual Aid and Assistance Program. The Model is based on
existing water and wastewater utility Mutual Aid and Assistance agreements
implemented in California, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Oregon,
Georgia, and Pennsylvania. While the Model shares some similarities with each
of the eight agreements, it is a unique document in and of itself.
- WARN Fact Sheet (PDF 2 pp, 126KB) EPA 817-F-07-015, 10/01/2007
EPA published the Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) Fact Sheet
to describe the mission of Water Sector Mutual Aid and Assistance and provide
information related to its support to expediting access to specialized
resources needed to respond to and recover from natural and human caused
events that disrupt public and private drinking water and wastewater utilities.
- The Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) Tabletop Exercise
Facilitator Guide provides instructions for planning, organizing and
conducting a tabletop exercise and includes sample exercise materials
such as scenarios (flood, hurricane, and earthquake), discussion
questions, and presentation slides. Tabletop exercises will allow
WARNs to practice and exercise their mutual aid/assistance
operational plan or other procedures so that requesting and
responding utilities have a better understanding of how to implement
their WARN agreement. By practicing the functionality and operations
of activating the agreement, a WARN will respond more effectively and
efficiently during an actual incident.
- WARN Tabletop Exercise Facilitator Guide Fact Sheet (PDF 2 pp, 627KB) EPA 817-R-08-003, September 2008
- WARN Tabletop Exercise Facilitator Guide (PDF 64 pp, 1.6 MB) | Word (4.5MB), EPA 817-R-08-005, September 2008
- Attachment 8: Sample PowerPoint Presentation Materials Introduction
- Introduction Slides, PowerPoint, (13 slides, 1MB)
- Scenario 1: Flood Slides, PowerPoint, (21 slides, 2MB)
- Scenario 2: Hurricane Slides, PowerPoint, (27 slides, 1.6MB)
- Scenario 3: Earthquake Slides, PowerPoint, (23 slides, 1.5MB)
WARN Poster (PDF 2 pp, 2MB) EPA 817-H-08-001, 03/31/2009
EPA published the WARN Poster to provide WARNs with outreach material they can
use when presenting the WARN concept at meetings and conferences.
Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)
The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)
provides a mechanism whereby drinking water and wastewater utilities can provide
interstate (between states) mutual aid and assistance during times of emergency.
EMAC has demonstrated its value in providing interstate mutual aid and assistance
for multiple sectors and disciplines and can be used to share water sector
resources such as equipment and personnel across state lines.
Other Supporting Publications
- AWWA Resource Typing Manual
This Resource Typing Manual was written to provide guidance to water and wastewater utilities when they request and provide mutual aid and assistance resources during and after an emergency. The resources described in this manual are those anticipated to be needed up to the first thirty days following an incident, emergency, disaster, or catastrophe.
- AWWA WARN Economic Benefits
The purpose of this report is to provide a simplified, general reference for business case analysis of participating in a WARN in order to guide utility managers and decision-makers. It provides valuable insights into the strategic context, potential benefits and outcomes, costs and resource implications for WARN signatories in enabling a utility to respond to various types of incidents.
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