Read All City News

January 12, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DECATUR JOINS STATEWIDE MUTUAL AID NETWORK

DECATUR - The City of Decatur is now part of a new coalition of Central Illinois communities whose focus is to provide critical assistance during times of disaster or emergency.

The Decatur City Council recently voted unanimously in favor of an agreement for the city to be a part of the Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid Network (IPWMAN). Over the last several months the city’s department of Engineering and Infrastructure has been working to help organize this network, a collective of area communities which will provide valuable resources during times of disaster and/or emergency when a city’s resources have been exhausted. In addition to potentially receiving aid, cities will also provide assistance to other communities when they are faced with situations that require immediate help beyond their capabilities.

Extreme weather events in recent years including the floods of 2008, the 2006-2007 ice storm and the spring tornados that sometimes strike in Illinois underscore the need for this kind of network. Assistance from neighboring communities was critical to the City of Decatur’s recovery from the ice storm of 2006; this agreement helps to streamline the process of providing and receiving this kind of assistance.

Benefits of becoming a part of IPWMAN include:

1. In an emergency, members receive assistance from other members with appropriate resources. There is no cost for the first five days of assistance.
2. Provide a network of responding agencies with more diverse resources.
3. Have access to various resources for all areas within the state, not just limited to the areas in close proximity to the event.
4. Promote educational workshops and training to prepare agencies for emergencies and disasters.
5. Have a membership agreement that provides reimbursement protocols after the first five days or if the disaster becomes eligible for FEMA or IEMA aid.
6. Have a defined operation plan that expedites the arrival of aid.
7. Have access to a list of emergency contacts.
8. Have added peace of mind knowing that your community has access to aid during time of need when local resources are overwhelmed.

“This agreement represents one of the many steps that we take in an effort to lessen the inconvenience to residents during an emergency and to make sure that our community remains safe and secure,” said City Manager Ryan McCrady. “Emergency situations can wreak havoc on a community and during those times you want to recover as quickly as possible yet doing so can be difficult without help.

“This agreement provides that assistance both for the City of Decatur and other communities which may find themselves in times of need.”

For more information, please contact Rick Marley at 424-2747 or Billy Tyus at 424-2753.