Transcript “Utilities Helping Utilities” What is SoonerWARN? SoonerWARN Mission The mission of SoonerWARN is to provide a network to support and promote water and.

“Utilities Helping Utilities”
What is SoonerWARN?
SoonerWARN Mission
The mission of SoonerWARN is to provide
a network to support and promote water
and wastewater utilities, both public and
private, through statewide emergency
preparedness, disaster response, and
mutual assistance during natural and
human caused events.
Why SoonerWARN?
Lessons learned from past disaster responses
 Water utility operations are specialized
 Utilities must fill the gap between disaster
onset and the arrival of other government aid
 Customers can live without power and phone,
but not without water
 Restoration of water services is the first step in
recovery from an emergency and provides
hope
SoonerWARN Purposes
 A process for sharing emergency resources among
water and wastewater facilities statewide
 Resources to respond and recover more quickly
from a disaster
 A mutual assistance program consistent with
other statewide mutual aid programs and the
National Incident Management System
 A forum to develop and maintain emergency
contacts and relationships
 Resources for planning, training, and professional
development in the times between disasters
How Does SoonerWARN Work?
 Become a member at www.soonerwarn.org
 Provide contact information including e-mail & cell
phone on a secure, members only area of the
website.
 In an emergency, a member utility posts a request
on the website. If internet access is not available,
calls the DEQ 24 hr. Hotline, 1-800-522-0206
 If a call for assistance comes through the DEQ
Hotline, the SoonerWARN Administrator contacts
the requesting utility to learn specifics about aid
needed then posts the request.
 When a request is posted on the website an e-mail
request for aid is broadcast to all SoonerWARN
members.
 Other SoonerWARN members receive the request,
decide if assistance can be provided, reply to the
requesting utility and respond. As a request is filled,
that information is posted on the website as well.
SoonerWARN Response Case
What if your town lost its only water well,
was running out of bottled water and it
was Christmas Day and stores were closed?
SoonerWARN Response
The only water well for a small municipality in
Northeastern Oklahoma was off-line for almost a week.
Its citizens were using bottled water but in the early
afternoon of Christmas Day 2008 the supply was
dangerously low and all area stores were closed due to
the Holiday.
Through the DEQ Hotline, the SoonerWARN Administrator
was contacted and after speaking with the town
manager, a notice was posted on the site, sending e-mail
messages to all of the SoonerWARN members.
Two SoonerWARN members responded with bottled water
and by supper time had delivered the cases to the town
and its citizens.
SoonerWARN Benefits
 No cost to participate
 Voluntary – you decide if your utility can help
 Increases planning and coordination
 Utilizes the Oklahoma Mutual Aid law for city and
county systems, provides Mutual Aid Agreement
for private systems
 Enhances access to specialized resources
 Is consistent with NIMS
 Provides a list of emergency contacts and phone
numbers
 Avoids federal bureaucracy
 Increases hope that recovery comes quickly
SoonerWARN Support
 In addition to member utilities, the following
organizations and agencies participate in the
SoonerWARN steering committee:
 Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality
 Oklahoma Rural Water Association
 Oklahoma Association of Regional Councils
 Oklahoma Water Environment
 Oklahoma Municipal League
 Oklahoma Emergency Management Agency
 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
How to Become a SoonerWARN
Member
 Fill out and submit the application on the
SoonerWARN website, www.soonerwarn.org
 Call Kristie Valtierra at 405-702-6203 or 1-800-
522-0206 and request an application