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Objectives. Background on California WARN Development of a National WARN Updates to agreement in 2007 Lesson from Southern Cal Fires Have protocols in place for WARN mutual aid. Background of Water MA. 1950 CA Master Mutual Aid Agreement 1952 Utility Policy Committee (UPC)
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Objectives • Background on California WARN • Development of a National WARN • Updates to agreement in 2007 • Lesson from Southern Cal Fires • Have protocols in place for WARN mutual aid
Background of Water MA • 1950 CA Master Mutual Aid Agreement • 1952 Utility Policy Committee (UPC) • Sole purpose of UPC was to create mutual aid and assistance agreements and plans between utilities • UPC managed by utilities for utilities • Led by four largest public utilities and included private utilities • 1972 Mutual Aid Response System (MARS) created • Created by Metropolitan Water District • Focus on response agreement and • Communications system • 1973 San Francisco Bay Area Water Utilities • Seven largest water utilities formed • Response agreement to share resources • Shared lists of resources in hard copy
CalWARN Emerges In 90’s • Three Preceding Bay Area Events • 1989 Loma Prieta EQ • 1990 Freeze • 1991 East Bay Hills Firestorm • 1991 East Bay Firestorm Blue Ribbon Report • State Office of Emergency Services Review • Evaluated cause of fire, response and improvements • Recommended Water Mutual Aid Program • State Legislation – Petris Bill • Hydrant fittings and pressure • Emergency planning requirements • Standardized Emg Mgt System • Mutual aid consistency
What was done? • Initial Leadership Team • Met December 1992 • Identified a plan on how to proceed • Agreed • To create a dynamic active mutual aid and assistance program with purpose and goals • Utilities needed more than just an agreement • Action • Polled utilities to determine needs • Polled largest 150 water utilities; received 55 Responses • Conducted a VA: 20 yes; 31 no; 4 no response • Create a written emergency plan: 23 yes; 32 no • Conduct training: 31 yes; 20 no; 4 no response • Have established MA agreement: 12 yes; 43 no
Became Educated on MA • Engaged State Office of Emergency Services (OES) • Manage statewide mutual aid system • Regulator of new legislation on emergency response • Standardized Emergency Management System • Consistency with all mutual aid systems • OES Recommendations • Craft a program around existing systems and protocols • Create activation and usage protocols • Review Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements
Initial Response • Following emergency, utility activates agreement with neighbors or others in a local agreement • Can respond to small emergency OR large… prior to a declaration Local Mutual Aid Initial Emergency Agreement Emergency Declared Governor Recovery Occurs Emergency Declaration
Local Emergency • Need to streamline the statewide process that takes time • Creates a gap before Statewide mutual aid/assistance “rolls” Local Statewide Mutual Aid Mutual Aid / Asst. Initial Emergency Agreement Emergency Declared Governor Recovery Occurs Emergency Declaration
Forged a New Agreement • Survey of utilities identified an agreement was first focus • Existing agreements missed the mark • Only public agencies participated • Did not meet the special needs of water utility • Required complicated methods to use • OES encouraged the development • Common Sense • Reviewed what existed • Modified to meet the utility needs • Educated lawyers on the need • Liability, immunity and workmen compensation covered • Incorporated • Master Mutual Aid Agreement Concepts and SEMS • State OES support
WARN Agreement “Bridge” • Includes public AND private utilities • Operates utility to utility for small, local or large events • Reduces the response “gap” for large emergencies Intrastate WARN Activation Local Statewide Mutual Aid Mutual Aid / Asst. Initial Emergency Agreement Emergency Declared Recovery Governor Occurs Emergency Declaration
What’s Included • Qualified Personnel and Equipment (Portable) • Operations • Maintenance • Treatment • Management • Customer Service • Laboratory • Only ONE Limitation • Commodity
Statewide System Born • Coastal Region WARN to CalWARN • Northridge EQ (2/94) • Modified agreement 6/96 • Established more regions • Southern, Northern, Inland and Valley • Remained consistent with state system • Expanded Steering Committee • Included Wastewater (6/01) • Expanded Steering Committee • Currently have 215 members • 93% population of the state’s water customers • 15% population of the state’s wastewater customers • The Agreement Changed 3 Times in 15 years
Steering Committee • Identified in Omnibus Agreement • Six Regions • Members of region elect chair • Communicate with members • Encourage updates • One State Steering Committee • Chairs of six regions • Representatives of each association • State Cmte Chair elected by members of state committee • Meet at least annually • Primarily manage agreement and data base issues
Functional Tools • WARN II, 1993 – 1997 • Asked members to submit an inventory of resources • Used public use software to compile a database • Cumbersome and intensely time consuming • WARN, Statewide 1997 – 2001 • Metropolitan Water District of So Cal developed the initial website and on line database • www.calwarn.org, 2001 • East Bay Municipal Utility District updated website • Public side for marketing and education • Private side with log on access to data base & contact info
Use in Emergency • During Response • Utilities log onto website www.calwarn.org • Directly call utility with resources • Contact Ca Utilities Emergency Association in large events • Website • East Coast Server • Utilities encouraged to print out data
How to Join • Locate Website at www.calwarn.org • Instructions Available on-line • Sign Agreement • Send Signed Agreement to Region Chair • Utility Receives Website Database Password and Info Binder • Utility Adds Equipment to Database
National WARN Status 3/06 WARN State Agreement Pending Steering Committee Leadership Team Workshop
Water Sector Initiatives Supported the Development of WARN • 8 major water organizations participated in Workshop Nov 2005 • Joint Policy Statement Issued • Encourage the creation of intrastate mutual aid & assistance networks • Provide for greater water sector resiliency againstnatural disasters and human-caused events
WARN Support Documents • Utilities helping Utilities • Outlined 10 key steps in the formation of a WARN • Included sample agreement that satisfies NIMS and comparative assessment of existing WARN programs • Next steps • Facilitated organizational workshops • Developed standardized response protocols • Conducted exercises
10 Steps to Success Have Been Proven • Identify interest in starting a program • Form an initial leadership team • Prepare a kick-off session • Establish a steering committee • Identify a mission for the program and steering committee goals • Review use of state regions • Identify mutual aid and assistance activation criteria • Draft an agreement • Create facilitation tools • Maintain the program
Workshops Helped Implement the 10 Steps Note: CA, FL, TX had a WARN in place when the workshops started. LA was right behind. • 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)
Promoting Mutual Aid and Assistance • Partners • EPA Water Security Division and Regions • AWWA – Hosting workshops via EPA grant • NRWA, AMWA, NACWA, WEF, RCAP, ASDWA, ASIWPCA etc… • Dept of Homeland Security/FEMA • National Emergency Management Association/ Emergency Management Assistance Compact
WARN Status: March 2006 WARN State Agreement Pending Steering Committee Leadership Team Workshop
WARN Status – April 2008 WARN State Agreement Pending Steering Committee Leadership Team Workshop * AL, AZ, MA, NH, NV - Signed or draft agreement does not directly include private utilities.
Interstate Assistance • Emergency Management Assistance Compact • First choice at this time • AWWA sits on the Advisory Council • Evaluating other options to manage immediate response
CalWARN Agreement • Development of AWWA “how to guide” • Adopted by the National Incident Management Integration Center • Set standard for agreements • Minor changes to the Agreement • Clarification on reimbursement • Clarification on Workers Comp • Accepting NIMS • Interstate Response • Under review by legal
Luke Schroder,14, looks at the smoke-filled sky after surfing. Evacuations and road closures kept many from the beach.(Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)October 21, 2007
Firefighter Jason Falarski battles to save a house in Poway on Monday. For many in San Diego County, the scene was reminiscent of the deadly 2003 Cedar fire. Several hundred thousand people evacuated their homes as wildfires flared across the county, but the size of the exodus made escape impossible for some.(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)October 22, 2007
Water System Impacts • Boil Water • 27 water systems in San Diego County • 2,522 connections • Do Not Use • Ramona Water District • Evacuation order included “turn on sprinklers” request • No pump power – negative pressure - ground Water intrusion concerns • Conflict between State and County Health directions • Alternate Uses • Helo pickup at prime water sources • Potable water distribution sites
David Ottesen, 16, tries to douse embers before firefighters reach his and his parents' property on Bent Tree Court in Poway on Monday. “They just went to town on every single flame that was in our backyard,” said David, a high school junior. “We probably wouldn’t have a house if they hadn’t come.”(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)October 22, 2007
Response to the Fires • San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) • Wholesale distributor to 24 utilities • Represents member utilities at specific programs • Sits at the County Emergency Operations Center during emergencies • San Diego Local Mutual Aid • Own mutual aid agreement among distributors • Several members are also CalWARN members
Mutual Aid Response • Requests from local utilities managed by SDCWA • Ramona and others requested aid from SDCWA • SDCWA contacted other utilities within the county • Response from the San Diego utilities • E-mail request sent out to county members • 20 minutes later 105 resources gathered from 16 unaffected utilities • Sufficient resources among the SDCWA member utilities to manage the event
Governance Trainings, Exercises and Updates Concept of Operations Players CalWARN integration Activation Conditions Authorized Representatives What is activated Notification Communication tools CalWARN Coordination After Action Report and Improvement Plan Attachments CalWARN Operational Plan
California The Birthplace of WARN
WARN II, 1992 Martin Falarski, Chair Ray Riordan, EBMUD Ron Grasser, CA Utilities Emergency Assoc. Jim Coe, CA Dept Water Res Catherine Ma, CA Dept Health Norm Lougee, San Fran Pub Utility Hal Woods, Russian River Water Bob Cortelyou, Sonoma Co Water Dennis Ma, Santa Clara Water Jody Lyons, Castroville Water CalWARN Today Raymond Riordan, Chair Don Bolland, CUEA Sonny Fong, CA DWR Clif Bowen, CA Dept Public Health Michael Cameron, CSRMA Catherine Smith, CRWA Katy Gibson, MWD, Chair Reg 1 Don Groundwater, BVWD, Chair Reg 3 John Spitler, GSWC, Chair Reg 4 Don Boggs, Tulare Water, Chair Reg 5 Gary Sturdivan, EVWD, Chair Reg 6 Jean Thompson, RCAC CalWARN Acknowledgments
The Camp Pendleton Fire raged on Tuesday evening.(Submitted to YourScene by mitchellson)Can’t put this out with bottled water or without dedication of water utility and mutual aid.
Contact Raymond Riordan rayriordan@comcast.net 2662 Marsh Drive San Ramon, CA 94583 925.830.9180