Wise Water Words - Volume 51, Issue 1 (Spring 2014)
WARN
By Rick Melcher [City of Aurora]Nebraska had discussed becoming involved with the Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network in 2007 by creating a leadership team made up of state agencies and community water operators. After several months of gathering information on the benefits of providing a WARN organization, we began developing an agreement and become a WARN State, known today as "NEWARN". While the NEWARN Agreement was being developed, we had asked for a review from all interested communities and their attorneys to assist with improving the agreement to suit the needs of every community. The final draft of the NEWARN agreement had been completed in the first quarter of 2008, with the signing of the first NEWARN agreement coming in the spring of 2008. Nebraska became the 24th state to provide a WARN organization.
There currently are approximately 170 NEWARN Member Communities with 47 of those members providing resources (including equipment and materials) to communities during and/or after an emergency event. If there are any Member Communities needing assistance with registering their resources, please don't hesitate to contact a NEWARN board member or a neighboring NEWARN Member Community.
The NEWARN Board feels the program is doing very well as the membership of NEWARN continues to grow and is adding valuable resources for use during an emergency event by the addition of every new member. Nebraska is fortunate to be a state with many communities that have helped one another for many years and the NEWARN Agreement formalizes those inter-community assistance activities. By way of the agreement, villages and city councils recognize the importance of becoming members of NEWARN.
As indicated in the agreement, there is no charge to becoming a member of NEWARN. Feel free to visit the website and review the details of the agreement. Your participation helps all the NEWARN member communities in assisting other communities during and after natural or manmade disasters. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
