ORWARN

about us

Mission

The mission of the Oregon WARN (ORWARN) is to support and promote statewide emergency preparedness, disaster response, and mutual aid assistance matters for the public and private water and wastewater utilities in the case of either natural or man-made events.

answers to most common
questions

What is ORWARN?

Following the impacts of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent that even with the extraordinary efforts of utilities, water associations, and state regulatory agencies, the demand for resources and knowing where those resources were available overwhelmed the ability to effectively coordinate the initial response. FEMA demonstrated that it could not effectively assist utilities in a timely manner.

ORWARN is a Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) of utilities helping other utilities to:

Receive mutual aid assistance in smaller localized emergencies, as is currently done by fire departments and other public service agencies

Participate in a standard omnibus mutual assistance agreement and process for sharing emergency resources among members statewide.

Prepare for the next natural or man-made caused emergency.

Organize emergency response according to establish FEMA and NIMS requirements.

Share personnel and other resources statewide under previously arranged agreements and pre-defined liability and insurance provisions

Why do we need such a program?

Past disaster response and lessons learned tell us that:

Water restoration provides hope for long-term recovery.

Water and Wastewater operations are very specialized.

Water and Wastewater Utilities must be self-sufficient and fill the gap between disaster onset and arrival of other government aid.

Customers can live without power and phone interruptions, not without water.

Why join ORWARN?

Who is more likely to have that specialized pump or valve your system needs to get back on line in a hurry? That’s right, another water or wastewater system. So join your peers in ORWARN and become part of the network dedicated to keeping our communities healthy, sanitary and safe.

ORWARN also enhances utility emergency response, provides access to specialized resources, provides assistance without an official disaster declaration, it’s consistent with the national incident management system (NIMS), and there is no cost or obligation to participate.

Who is involved in ORWARN?

ORWARN is a collection of water and wastewater utilities and other associate members throughout the State of Oregon, who are working to keep water and wastewater systems running efficiently and effectively after an emergency, large or small.

Become a Member Utility:

ORWARN member utilities assist each other by listing emergency equipment and trained personnel available for use by other members during an emergency.
1. Download ORWARN Mutual Aid Agreement
2. Complete and sign the agreement. Mail to info@orwarn.org.

Become an Associate Member:

ORWARN associate members are non-utilities that are involved in emergency management. They have access to the news and resources listed on this website. They can NOT post emergency equipment, trained personnel, news updates.

ORWARN members establish a board composed of volunteers from participating utilities within the state. A chair is elected by the members to act as administrator for ORWARN.

Is there a cost to participate?

There is no cost to participate or become an ORWARN member and participation is voluntary once you are a member. A utility is only required to follow through if they are committing assistance to the requesting utility.

How can I participate in ORWARN?

Become a member of ORAWARN and help neighboring utilities respond if you have the resources available to help, again there is no obligation to participate, but knowing you’ve got this resource available is a good way to plan ahead for emergencies.

For more information on ORWARN please contact:

info@orwarn.org