City officials say they’re ready for Y2K

Eron Ben-Yehuda

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- While residents celebrate New Year’s Eve, city

officials will be making sure no Y2K glitches spoil the fun.

Officials don’t expect any major problems, but they will be ready if a

computer malfunction causes a “low-level” crisis, said Glorria Morrison,

the city’s emergency services coordinator.

Electricity, water and gas are among the services that might suffer

disruptions. If a problem occurs, the city will coordinate with other

government agencies and utility companies to restore service as quickly

as possible, officials said.

“We’ve tried to plan for absolutely everything,” she said.

The city’s Police and Fire departments probably will continue to function

smoothly as 2000 rolls around because, like all other city departments,

their computer systems are checked and rechecked to ensure Y2K

compliance, said Fire Chief Michael Dolder, who oversees the city’s

preparation. In case they do fail, the city has backup plans that don’t

require computers.

If telephones don’t work, for example, city officials will use ham radios

to communicate, Morrison said.

And extra police and firefighters will be on duty, making sure revelers

don’t get out of hand and ensuring enough manpower in case they do.

Despite the initial hysteria, Morrison said people do not seem as

concerned as they once were about Y2K.

“The public has calmed down,” she said.

That’s because governments and businesses have made significant progress

in preparing for possible system breakdowns, she said.

“We’ve come a long way since,” she said.

While major strides have been made to stomp the millennium bug, no one

can predict exactly what will happen as the clock strikes midnight Dec.

31., Dolder said.

The concern stems from the long-standing computer programming tradition

of using only two digits to represent years. In 2000, the date “OO” could

be interpreted as “1900” by some programs, resulting in the possibility

of miscalculations, malfunctions or complete shutdowns.

With computerized electronic equipment controlling everything from

refrigerators to security alarms, residents should take precautions as

well, Dolder said. Those who do have nothing to fear, he said.

To help residents get ready, the city will send out 50,000 pamphlets by

the end of the month, offering tips on how to be prepared -- just in case

the millennium bug does bit, Deputy City Administrator Rich Barnard said.

Some advice from the “Y2K Checklist” includes:

* Checking with manufacturers to determine whether any essential

computer-controlled electronic equipment could be affected.

* Stocking supplies such as nonperishable foods, drinking water and

medications to last everyone in the household for up to a week.

* Keeping extra cash or traveler’s checks on hand in case electronic

transactions using automated teller machine cards, credit cards and the

like cannot proceed.

* Having plenty of flashlights and extra batteries on hand in case of

power outages.

“And if you’re not prepared today, shame on you,” Dolder said.