Mission

The mission of the Illinois WARN (ILWARN) 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.

Goals

The goal of ILWARN is to provide immediate relief for member utilities during emergencies. ILWARN works by matching personnel with the necessary tools and equipment to both assess and assist the impacted water and wastewater system as quickly as possible until a permanent solution to the emergency may be implemented. This method of assistance is analogous to that used by emergency service agencies and electric utilities.

The goals of Illinois WARN are to provide:

• A mutual assistance agreement and process for sharing emergency resources among water and wastewater agencies statewide.
• A mutual assistance program consistent with other statewide mutual aid and assistance programs and the National Incident Management System (NIMS)
• A legal means to secure the resources to respond and recover more quickly from a natural or man-made disaster.

Who can use ILWARN?

Any public or private drinking water or wastewater utility can participate in ILWARN, regardless of size. The organization can be activated between utilities in crisis with or without a disaster declaration but integrates with the state’s Emergency Operations Center during a declared emergency.

What are the benefits of membership?

• No cost to become a member
• Increased planning and coordination
• Enhance access to specialized resources
• A single agreement provides access to all member utilities statewide
• Provides access to resources during an emergency without pre-contractual limitations or retainer fees
• Expedites arrival of aid
• Signatories have a pre-established relationship under which they are able to share resources during an emergency at the discretion of each participating agency
• Is consistent with the National Incident Management System (NIMS)
• Provides a list of emergency contacts and phone numbers
• Reduces administrative conflicts
• Agreement contains indemnification and workers’ compensation provisions to protect participating utilities, and provides for reimbursement of costs, as needed
• Increases hope that recovery will come quickly

How can I participate in ILWARN?

To become a member of ILWARN, click here to sign up.

For more information on ILWARN please contact: [email protected]