#4 Authorizing participation in WisWARN mutual aid program (File Res. #2009-582)
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS MEMORANDUM
March 16, 2009
TO: City Council
FROM: Daniel L. Lynch, PE, Utility Director
SUBJECT: Action on a Proposed Resolution Authorizing Participation in the
WisWARN Mutual Aid and Assistance Program (File Res. 2009-582)
Summary
A statewide mutual aid response and assistance program for water and wastewater
utilities has been formed in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Water and Wastewater Agency
Response Network, or WisWARN, was created to provide a method to allow a utility
from one community to help a utility in another community with personnel and resources
following a natural or manmade disaster. This program is expanding throughout the
state and presently has about 15 members. The establishment of this mutual aid
network will help ensure that vital services remain operational during and after disasters
(such as the flooding in Janesville last year).
Staff or Department Recommendation
The management and staff of the Janesville Water and Wastewater Utilities strongly
support the WisWARN program and encourage the Council to allow the City’s
participation.
Suggested Motion
Move to adopt Resolution Number 2009-582 authorizing the City’s participation in the
WisWARN Mutual Aid and Assistance Program.
City Manager Recommendation
I believe that regional cooperation is a good goal for Janesville. I concur with the goal
of having a statewide mutual aid response & assistance program for water and
wastewater utilities.
Analysis
With the support of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) the
WisWARN mutual aid agreement and website were developed. The mutual aid
agreement is the basic document that allows its member municipalities to participate in
what is essentially an intergovernmental agreement. The intergovernmental agreement
approach was used because it allows participating municipalities to maintain their
governmental immunities and liability limits. The WisWARN mutual aid agreement
provides the overall operating rules for participating utilities during a crisis. The
agreement was developed by a working group representing the Cities of Madison and
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Milwaukee; the Green Bay Water Utility; the Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay
Metropolitan Sewerage Districts; and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.
The WisWARN website (www.WisWARN.org ) is an important communication tool
during emergencies, but it also serves other purposes. It contains the master resource
inventory of available personnel and resources available from member utilities and
emergency contact information. Member utilities can go to the website to update their
information and, during emergencies, a utility requesting assistance goes to the website
to find the nearest needed resource(s). The contacted utility determines if it can
respond and if it can’t, the next utility with the needed resource is contacted. Initiating a
WisWARN request for assistance is as simple as sending an email or making a phone
call. Not only does this process allow for a very quick response, but the local
municipality remains in charge and gets only the resources it has requested.
WisWARN uses the National Incident Management System (NIMS), which is the
standard emergency management protocol used by police, fire and other emergency
response agencies, as required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA). WisWARN is based on a national model supported by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and presently operating in 36 states.
A list of communities/sewerage districts which have joined or are joining WisWARN is
attached following this memorandum.
Other benefits of joining WisWARN include:
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There is no cost to join or annual cost to belong to WisWARN;
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There is no commitment or obligation to respond to any request for assistance.
No WisWARN member is ever required to respond to a disaster;
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WisWARN uses a single statewide agreement which establishes uniform
administrative and operational procedures concerning: insurance, workers
compensation, equipment rental rates, etc., and measures relating to actual
response procedures in the field;
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Unlike many emergency response programs, WisWARN can be implemented
locally without an “emergency declaration,” allowing it to be operational very
quickly;
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WisWARN maintains local control of all response activities;
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WisWARN does not supersede other local government mutual aid agreements,
in fact it compliments those agreements because it works within the NIMS
system;
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It allows specialized operations such as water and wastewater utilities to be
assisted by people with similar training, knowledge and experience;
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WisWARN can be used during non-emergencies to locate unusual repair parts or
equipment or to obtain advice;
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It facilitates local training and preparation for natural and manmade disasters.
The WisWARN concept has been endorsed by most of the state and national
professional water associations. In addition, the Wisconsin Alliance of Cities, League of
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Wisconsin Municipalities, the WDNR and other state agencies support WisWARN and
its goal of a statewide utility-to-utility mutual aid program.
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager
Jay Winzenz, Director of Administrative Services
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Currently the following communities and sewerage districts have become members of
WisWARN.
Municipality Utilities Represented
1. City of East Troy Water and Wastewater
2. City of Elkhorn Water and Wastewater
3. City of Green Bay Water
4. City of Kenosha Water and Wastewater
5. City of Lake Geneva Water and Wastewater
6. City of Lodi Water and Wastewater
7. City of Madison Water
8. City of Milwaukee Water
9. City of Platteville Water and Wastewater
10. City of Stevens Point Water and Wastewater
11. City of Watertown Water and Wastewater
12. City of Wausau Water and Wastewater
13. Village of Plymouth Water and Wastewater
14. Village of Weston Water and Wastewater
15. Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District Wastewater
16. Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District Wastewater
17. Rib Mountain Metropolitan Sewerage District Wastewater
A similar number of other municipalities are in the process of joining WisWARN.
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