有些紧急情况比其他紧急情况更容易处理，如果紧急情况或故障被定位，大多数公用事业公司都能有效地做出反应。然而，当灾难袭来时——例如1994年1月加利福尼亚州的北岭地震或1995年冬季加利福尼亚州北部的洪水——正常的资源是不够的。为了应对这种情况，加州水务公司成立了水务局响应网络（WARN），在危机期间提供互助。在这篇文章中，作者描述了加利福尼亚州互助工作的历史和当前运作，并叙述了东湾市政公用事业区在北岭地震后如何提供帮助。包括数字。

Some emergencies are more manageable than others, and most utilities can react effectively if an emergency or malfunction is localized. However, when calamity strikes--e.g., the Northridge, California, earthquake in January 1994 or Northern California's flooding in the winter of 1995--normal resources are not enough. To manage such situations, California water utilities have formed the Water Agency Response Network (WARN) to provide mutual aid during crises. In this article, the author describes the history and current operation of mutual aid efforts in California and recounts how the East Bay Municipal Utility District helped in the aftermath of the Northridge earthquake. Includes figure.