The word is spreading. This is from the front page of the Trenton (NJ) times today. <:)=

Trenton Times

New Jerseyans should expect temporary, localized disruptions in services this January due to the year 2000 computer bug, but "the sky is not falling," officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in Newark yesterday.

The FEMA presentation was part of a flurry of new information about the "Y2K" bug, including new assessments by a special Senate committee and the Central Intelligence Agency.

Calling the Y2K bug "one of the most serious and potentially devastating events this nation has ever encountered," the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Problem raised serious concerns about the readiness of the U.S. health-care industry, saying 90 percent of doctors' offices have not addressed potential year 2000 problems.

Also yesterday, the Central Intelligence Agency said the U.S. could be affected by potentially profound Y2K problems overseas. The CIA yesterday said Russia and China would probably experience electric power failures and Saudi Arabia and Venezuela might have disruptions that could affect oil supplies.

In a two-day event in Newark, FEMA deputy director Mike Walker said Y2K "does not have to be a major problem" and asked emergency managers to urge local officials and business leaders to make sure their systems are ready.

In a videotaped address, White House Y2K czar John Koskinen told those at the session that local officials "need to be prepared for the possibility that the Y2K problem could cause temporary disruptions in some services, especially in areas where governments and businesses have not devoted proper attention to the problem.

"By themselves, such disruptions are manageable," Koskinen added. "But the unique challenge the Y2K problem presents us with is the potential for numerous disruptions happening at once, which will place additional burdens on the most well-equipped emergency response mechanisms."

THE STATE of New Jersey yesterday released a partial list of 49 "mission-critical" government systems it has fixed to handle the year 2000 rollover, which could cause some systems using two digits for the year to believe "00" means 1900.

The Y2K-ready systems include those handling payments for disability and unemployment insurance and automated child-support payments. Lottery winners will be paid smoothly, and Gov. Christine Whitman's appointment and messaging systems are ready for the 21st century. The list was posted on the Y2K area of the state Web site.

Separately, a special Senate committee on the Y2K problem is drafting a report finding that the United States, while well ahead of most of the rest of the world in fixing computers, is likely to experience some disruptions in health care, electric power and food distribution.

"All sectors of the economy, many of which provide goods and services that are vital to our health and well-being, are at risk," Sens. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., wrote their Senate colleagues.

The draft report reserved some of its strongest language for the health-care industry, concluding it "is one of the worst-prepared for Y2K and carries a significant potential for harm."

The industry relies on computers for patient treatment, insurance claims and pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution. While large hospitals are pushing to fix their computers, the report described hospital management as "playing a catch-up game."

The committee concludes that "the biggest Y2K impact will occur internationally."

CIA deputy director John Gordon concurred yesterday. He told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that Russia appears particularly vulnerable, raising concerns about the safety of its missiles, nuclear plants and gas pipelines.

"We do not see a problem in terms of Russian or Chinese missiles automatically being launched" because of Y2K-related problems, Gordon said, adding that the Pentagon has been consulting with the Russians on how to avoid that danger.

China, he said, is belatedly addressing the Y2K problem, but with limited time remaining "will probably experience failures in key sectors such as telecommunications, electric power and banking."

Gordon said oil supplies are also worrisome because world ports and ocean shipping are among the sectors that have done the least to prepare for the Y2K problem.

Two important trading partners, Japan and Venezuela, seem to have miscalculated the time and money needed to fix the computer glitch, according to the Senate report, which also suggests that Japan "may have underestimated the resources needed to address the problem."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), February 25, 1999

Answers

I seem to be on an overdue "thanking you" spree today.

Thanks for all the information that you post and also your commentary and thoughts are helpful too.

-- Anon (anon@abc.com), February 25, 1999.

Thanks Anon. Just trying to bring new stuff to the forum. <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), February 25, 1999.

FEMA's version of the NJ meeting:

Emergency Managers Discuss Tactics to Prepare for Y2K

Newark, NJ, February 23, 1999 -- Emergency management and emergency services officials from New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands met here today with federal representatives to discuss the potential consequences of Y2K disruptions and strategies to manage these disruptions in the second of 10 regional Y2K workshops sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

In the conference's plenary session, FEMA Deputy Director Mike Walker told participants that despite worries to the contrary, the Y2K problem does not have to bring catastrophe. "Based on current assessments, the sky is not falling. Y2K does not have to be a major problem," Walker said.

In a videotaped address, John Koskinen, chair of the President's Council for Year 2000 Conversion, said disruptions in national services do not appear likely. "There is no indication that the Y2K problem will cause national failures in basic infrastructures such as electric power, telecommunications, banking and transportation," Koskinen said. Presentations by representatives of the U.S. Departments of Energy, Health and Human Services, and Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, National Communications System and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reinforced Koskinen's claim that critical computer systems will be ready for the conversion to the Year 2000.

The Department of Energy reported that its own emergency management system is 100 percent Y2K compliant and, in coordination with the North American Electric Reliability Council, the department is working to erase doubt about the readiness of America's electrical supplies for the Year 2000.

The Department of Transportation reported that its agencies are working together with private industry to prepare the nation's transportation systems for Y2K. The Federal Highway Administration was among the first agencies to recognize the Y2K problem and began taking strong action in the late 1980s. The Federal Aviation Administration says that the 53 mission-critical systems in the National Airspace System must be Y2K compliant or have contingency plans in place by June 30, 1999.

However, Koskinen said emergency managers should be prepared to respond to a larger than average number of localized disruptions. "We do need to be prepared for the possibility that the Y2K problem could cause temporary disruptions in some services, especially in areas where government and businesses have not devoted appropriate attention to the problem. By themselves, such disruptions are manageable. But the unique challenge the Y2K problem presents us with is the potential for numerous disruptions happening all at once, which will place additional burdens on the most well-equipped emergency response mechanisms," Koskinen said.

Walker asked emergency managers to urge local officials and business leaders to make sure their computer systems are ready for Y2K. "As leaders in our respective communities, we should as a matter of first priority resolve to encourage those to fix that which has not yet been fixed. For that is the surest way to prepare for Y2K," Walker said.

Participants in the conference were urged to share Y2K information with their communities. Providing the public with the latest information on the status of key services, such as electrical and water systems, allows residents to prepare for Y2K and builds confidence that emergency managers will be able to respond to possible temporary disruptions. "Ultimately, we want to ensure that people are as confident in our ability to respond to the Y2K problem as they are in our ability to respond to storms and other natural events," Koskinen said.

-- (Busy@the.top), February 25, 1999.

We may remember this as "The week Y2K got real."

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 25, 1999.

All of these state and local government discussions could and SHOULD have taken place two or three years ago. Just WHY did it take so long for the effort to get the news out? If the highest levels of the government "Got It" in 1996 (I think they Got It in 1993 or 1994), why was there no public notification then? Or at least a serious "heads up" to the states?

Those three years would have made a huge difference to business and the public. Even if the federal government was in the same shape as they are today, we would all be further ahead in our own preparations and so would businesses, state and local governments.

If the public had started hearing about Y2K in 1996 there would be no fear of panic in 1999. But the government sat on what they thought was bad news and they're gonna reap what they've sown.

I hope things are mild enough that it means that after the 2000 elections that "incumbent politician" is a meaningless term. I'm afraid that it's going to get bad enough that the term "live politician" is going to be the oxymoron.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), February 25, 1999.

At a closed-door January meeting, members of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion wrestled with how much advice to give federal employees about making personal Y2K preparations. Council Chairman John Koskinen warned that strong preparedness advice given internally would fall into the hands of the media and be reported, perhaps unduly alarming the public, according to Wired News.

So it would alarm the public? Hmmmm I wonder what could be so alarming? I feel like the guy at the party that has the sign on his back that says kick me and I am the only one that doesn't realize it.

On one hand Koskinen says no problem and on the other he is talking strong preparedness advice. WHAT GIVES! Tman...

-- Tman (Tman@IBAgeek.com), February 25, 1999.