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Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN)

Atlantic States Rural Water Works Association

Rhode Island WARNMay 30, 2008

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Three Subjects

• WARN Introduction

• CalWARN, the evolution into a National WARN program

• CalWARN response to 2007 San Diego Fires

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Establishing Resiliency in the Water Sector

The WARN Initiative

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Objectives

• What is and why consider WARN

• Supporting Actions

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Why do we need WARN?

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Because “stuff” happensUtilities will need HELP!

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Preparing for

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Responding and Recovering

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All-Hazards

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WARNs Support Resiliency

Resilience -- the ability to accommodate change gracefully and without catastrophic failure, is critical in times of disaster.

(Foster 1997)

Local resiliency with regard to disasters means that a locale is able to withstand an extreme natural event without suffering devastating

losses, damage, diminished productivity, or quality of life and without a large amount of assistance from outside the community.

(Mileti 1999)

Resiliency is the capability of an asset, system, or network to maintain its function during or recover from a terrorist attack or other

incident (NIPP 2006).

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WARNs Link to the Federal Strategy

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National Incident Management System (NIMS)

• Full compliance with NIMS is an eligibility condition for all federal preparedness assistance grants for state, territorial, tribal, & local entities in FY 2008.– These criteria include formalizing mutual aid agreements with

surrounding communities and states for the purposes of sharing equipment, personnel, and facilities during emergencies.

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National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP)

• NIPP released July 7, 2006• Risk management framework uses an all-hazards

approach• Resiliency is a key overarching goal• 17 CI/KR Sectors – Water & Wastewater• Sector-Specific Plan

– Under White House review

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The Water Sector Vision

• A secure and resilient drinking water and wastewater infrastructure that provides clean and safe water as an integral part of daily life. This Vision assures the economic vitality of and public confidence in the nation's drinking water and wastewater through a layered defense of effective preparedness and security practices in the sector.

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Supporting Goal 3: Objective 2

• The water sector is actively seeking to leverage the success and lessons learned from existing intrastate mutual aid & assistance networks to support the formation of state-level Water/Wastewater Agency Response Networks (WARNs)

• AWWA, with the support of an existing USEPA grant, has been facilitating the establishment of WARNs nationally via regional workshops

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WARN – The Beginning (April 2006)

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Utilities Helping Utilities (Feb 2006)

• Joint Policy Statement– 8 major water

organizations– Encourages the creation

of intrastate mutual aid & assistance networks

– Provides for greater water sector resiliency against natural or manmade incident

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The WARN Action Plan

• Utilities Helping Utilities– Outlines 10 key steps in the

formation of a WARN – Includes sample agreement

that satisfies NIMS and comparative assessment of existing WARN programs

– Recognized by DHS as model for the water sector

www.NationalWARN.org

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What’s Involved - 10 Steps to Success

1. Identify interest in starting a program2. Form an initial leadership team3. Prepare a kick-off session4. Establish a steering committee5. Identify a mission for the program and steering

committee goals6. Review use of state regions 7. Identify mutual aid and assistance activation criteria8. Draft an agreement9. Create facilitation tools10. Maintain the program

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Workshops Helped Implement the 10 Steps

• 2006– May 11 - WA, OR, UT, NV, ID, AZ (Oakland)– July 6 - KY, TN, GA (Chattanooga)– Aug 6 - SC, NC (Charlotte)– Nov 1 – VA, MD, DE, PA, DC (Baltimore)– Dec 5 – AR, MO, IL, IN (St. Louis)

• 2007– Feb 23 – AL, MS (Meridian)– Mar 15 – OH, MI, WV, NY, CT (Cleveland)– Apr 26 – MN, WI, IA (Minneapolis)– May 16 – ME, VT, RI, NH, MA (Boston)– July 11 - OK, SD, ND, KS, NE (Denver)– July 12 - CO, NM, MT, ID, WY (Denver)

• 2008– Apr 29, HI (Honolulu)– May 8, AK (Anchorage)

Note: CA, FL, TX had a WARN in place when the workshops started. LA was right behind.

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Who’s Involved?• Utility owner/operators

• Professional association representation – (AWWA, NRWA, WEF, sanitation association, etc.)

• State water and wastewater primacy agency – (State health, environmental protection, etc.)

• State emergency management and/or homeland security agency– (State EMAC coordinator)

• US EPA region representation

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Benefits of Having an Agreement

• Increases planning & coordination

• Provides an emergency contact list

• Enhances access to specialized resources

• Expedites arrival of aid – FEMA is muscular and provides support, but is not agile

• Reduces administrative conflict – Signed agreement in place

– Workman’s comp, indemnification, etc. identified

• Increases community and customer hope – The right resources with the right skills are available

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Benefits – Avoid the Bureaucracy

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Examples of WARN in Action *

• Electrical components cleaned and replaced

• Control panels rebuilt

• Electrical motors replaced and rebuilt

• By-pass pumps installed

• Lift stations cleaned with vactor jet trucks

• Water main leaks located and repaired

• Valves located and isolated

• Chlorination equipment rebuilt

• Portable standby generators connected

• Any other work that required bailing wire, rubber bands, duct tape, bubble gum or anything else lying around

* Excerpted from FlaWARN experiences during Katrina, Rita and Wilma (2006)

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WARN State

Agreement Pending

Steering Committee

Leadership Team

Workshop

* AL, AZ, MA, NH, NV - Signed or draft agreement does not directly include private utilities.

WARN Status – April 2008

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“The WARN Ultimatum”

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Resource Typing Manual

• Purpose is to provide common set of terms for requesting and providing certain resources that only water sector utilities are likely capable of providing

• Follows FEMA guidance for typing resources which is focused on teams that could be deployed in response to an incident

www.NationalWARN.org

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EPA Efforts to Support WARN

• Mutual Aid Assistance Operational Plan

• Mutual Aid Table Top Exercise Facilitation Guide

• Interstate Mutual Aid/Assistance

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Purpose of the Sample MAAOP

• The “Sample WARN Mutual Aid/Assistance

Operational Plan” was developed to help

each WARN create procedures on how to

activate and implement its signed agreement

• The MAAOP is the operational extension of

the WARN agreement

• It is based on the NIMS IS 706 course

materials and recommended procedures

– How to apply IS 706 and encourage consistency

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What is the Sample MAAOP

• The MAAOP provides pre-emergency, emergency, and recovery activity suggestions for a WARN

• Geared towards management level, not field

• It is a sample that is meant to be modified

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Sample MAAOP Overview

• The Sample MAAOP covers topics such as:– Concept of Emergency Operations– WARN Activation – WARN Member Mobilization– WARN Coordination – WARN Documentation– After Action Report and Improvement Plan– Supporting Documents, Checklists, and Forms

• “Reader Notes” boxes provide hints and suggestions to assist in creating a MAAOP

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Purpose of the Exercise Materials

• The “Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) Tabletop Exercise Facilitator Guide,” includes information a WARN can use in the development and execution of a tabletop exercise to create, update, and/or improve its program

• Exercising allows WARN Members and other response agencies to increase their chance of success in responding to an actual event through WARN

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Exercise Materials Overview

• Similar to Simple Exercise• Focus on Coordination• 10 Step Guide• How to set up & conduct the exercise• Participant handouts and presentation slides• Discussion Questions

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Exercise Materials Overview

• Discussion Questions

– Agreement Activation

– Notification

– Resource Mobilization

– Resource Demobilization

– Coordination with Response Partners

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Three Exercise Scenarios

Hurricane

Earthquake

Flood

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Interstate Aid/Assistance via EMAC

• The National Emergency Management Agency’s (NEMA) Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is being explored as a potential tool to share resources across state lines

• EPA developed an outreach document, titled “EMAC Tips for the Water Sector,” which includes information the water sector can apply to utilize EMAC more effectively

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What Exactly is EMAC

• Congressionally ratified emergency management assistance agreement

• All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands participate

• A state-to-state compact accessed through your state Emergency Management Agency

• Facilitates interstate mutual aid/assistance for multiple sectors/disciplines

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EMAC Tips Document Overview

• Provides background information on EMAC provisions and processes

• Includes list of EMAC tips to complete before a disaster:– Know the law– Review all official EMAC request paperwork

• Includes list of EMAC tips to complete during a disaster:– Put out an early advisory through your state

Emergency Management Agency and EMAC– Use personal contacts to your advantage

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Bottom Line – Establishing Resiliency

• All emergencies are local and require a local response capability.

• Participation in a WARN agreement will enhance your utility’s preparedness and overall resiliency against any disaster.

• In its most basic form, WARN is a low or no-cost action that helps ensure the continuity of operations of the water infrastructure vital to the well being of every community.