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January 24, 2012 <br />Dear Minnesota Community; <br />The Minnesota Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (called MnWARN) is a <br />new statewide mutual aid system comprised of cities and municipalities prepared to <br />supply response to utility emergencies. MnWARN recognizes that utilities are highly <br />specialized and must be self-sufficient to fill the gap until help from larger agencies <br />arrives, Through this mutual aid system, utilities can help each other with personnel <br />resources during natural and man-made emergencies, ranging from broken water mains <br />or loss of power to large-scale disasters. <br />A community never knows when trouble will arrive. The flooding in southeastern <br />Minnesota serves as a reminder of how suddenly emergencies of critical scope and <br />magnitude can occur and how dependent we are as communities on one another's <br />assistance. During those times, restoring a safe supply of water also allows fire <br />departments, hospitals, responding agencies, and other services to operate. The ability <br />for a community to quickly get back on its feet reduces the impact to the local economy, <br />and clean water keeps public -health dangers to a minimum. In the wake of these <br />experiences, Minnesota Utilities have developed a statewide group who through the use <br />of a mutual aid agreement can help each other. <br />Participation in MnWARN is voluntary and membership is free. To participate in <br />MnWARN, simply fill out the Membership Information Form and Membership <br />Application Questionnaire and submit to MnWARN along with the Mutual Aid <br />Agreement and Resolution. With the submittal of this information a community will <br />have resources and assistance in time of need. The agreement among a network of <br />utilities can complement and enhance local capabilities to prepare to respond to a broad <br />range of threats. <br />This initiative is not meant to compete with any existing mutual agreements that your <br />utility may already have in place with neighboring communities or counties. This <br />initiative is meant to enhance the abilities of utilities to help utilities. Should you have <br />additional questions please view our website at http://mnwarn.org . <br />If you have additional questions on how to become a WARN Member please feel free to <br />contact me at mglynngshakopeeutilities.com or call me at the Shakopee Public Utilities <br />Water Department at (952) 233-1503. <br />Please forward this email to the appropriate persons. <br />Sincerely, <br />Viwteef 9,eepot <br />MnWARN Region 6 Director <br />