Y2K & You

Personally Prepared Employees = Working Employees

from On the Move, Winter (December) Quarter 1998, Volume 11, Number 4

If you haven't heard much about the "Y2K Problem" (aka "The Millennium Bug") then you will soon be hearing a lot more. There is a lot of information and a variety of opinions on this topic. The simplest description is this: on January 1, 2000 many of the computers, and the software we use on them, could crash because the new year will appear as "00" and the computers will think it's 1900. Some of the critical systems that could be affected include: telecommunication, electrical power, transportation, finance and banking, and the government and it's many services.

The real key to addressing this potential disaster (and at best, inconvenience), is "information, education and preparation." (Y2K Watch Website) We've used the internet to find some valuable resources for local agencies and their personnel to help them prepare personally and as an agency for the challenges that this problem will bring.

To do this, we will feature a new article each quarter on ways you can prepare. The goal behind this series of articles is not to scare you, but to give you a chance to discuss this problem with your staff, and in turn have them discuss it with their families. If your staff and their families are prepared should any problems arise, then they will be able to come to work and help solve the problems that might arise in your community as a whole.

Our first article of this series looks at the ways you and your employees can personally prepare for the challenges of the Y2K problem. Subsequent articles will deal with the more technical aspects of how to prepare your agency and to protect the systems you have invested considerable time, effort and tax dollars in to serve your communities.

Perhaps the best way to look at the "Y2K Problem" is to think of it as an emergency or general disaster, one for which, fortunately, you have a year to prepare!

The following information is taken from one of our best resources for emergency planning information, the EPICENTER (Emergency Preparedness Information Center). You can find out more about this resource by utilizing their website...http://www.theEpicenter.com/

Once a disaster happens, the time to prepare is gone and all you can do is cope...Anything you do today to prepare will be like making a deposit in your savings account, for withdrawal in tough times. The Epicenter has composed a list of recommended supplies for your car, home, and work location. As a minimum, you should be prepared to be isolated and on your own for 3 days and nights.

With most disasters, power outages are a given, and water may be scarce as well. The phone system may be inoperable. Your only source of news might be the radio, assuming your local radio station has generator equipment. With the loss of power come other effects you might not think of. There may be no gasoline available. Your car's heater might be your only source of heat. The money in your pocket will have to last until power is returned. Some supplies may be available, but buying some items like a manual can opener may be difficult. Cash cards will be useless if power or phone lines are lost. Many stores will have a hard time opening since items don't have prices on them anymore, thanks to scanning cash registers. You get the picture!

You need to have supplies on hand at work, home and in you car. It may sound like overkill, but you can't expect all three locations to be unscathed if a large disaster strikes (particularly a natural disaster). If you store provisions at each location, you will cover most of the likely situations. Another note: pets may not be allowed into shelters for health and space reasons. Prepare an emergency pen for pets in the home that includes a 3-day supply of dry food and a large container of water.

Below are some ideas about what you can do to prepare for ANY emergency...not just a Y2K related one. It's a good reminder to prepare for all emergencies.

At Work

• Keep your own personal supplies in your desk in a single pack of some kind that you can access quickly.
• Be sure you have composed a card to carry in your wallet or purse with important phone numbers including the number of your out-of-state phone contact.
• If you are not at your desk when something happens, don't count on being able to make it back. Store additional supplies in your car.

At Home

• Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These are potential fire risks (especially in the case of a surge of power prior to a blackout).
• Find out where the utility shutoffs are for water, power and gas.
• Place a flashlight or an emergency light next to your breaker panel.
• Place a wrench in your water meter box located near the street.
• Place or attach a tool on your gas meter for turning off the gas.
• Make an emergency plan including escape routes and meeting places. Choose both a nearby meeting place and an out-of-state relative to be your check-in contact for the family.
• Test your emergency plan with all members of the family present.
• Plug emergency lighting into selected outlets. These flashlights are constantly charged, and turn on automatically when power fails, or the units are unplugged.
• Install smoke detectors on every level of your home and near sleeping areas (a good idea anytime).

Know Your Neighbors & Neighborhood

• Contact your school district to obtain their policy regarding how children will be released from school.
• Know the location of the nearest police and fire stations, as well as the route to the nearest hospital emergency room.
• Meet with neighbors and find out who has medical experience.
• If you are taking this preparedness thing seriously, share this information with the households next to you. The more people you can convince to prepare, the greater your group resources. Remember that you will be called upon by all around you for help, especially by those who didn't take warnings seriously.
• Give spare keys to your trusted neighbors. Show them where the utility shutoffs are and provide them with a list of contact phone numbers.
• Ask how to turn off your neighbors utilities.

That's all for now. In our next issue we will provide you with a list of suggested supplies. Please check out the links on our website to sites that deal with Y2K solutions, contingency plans and general emergency preparedness tips. We hope this will help make sense of the information out there and provide you with a prepared workforce, ready to continue their service to the community.