If this was posted earlier I apologize in advance

http://www.sptimes.com/News/122299/Pasco/County_gears_up_for_Y.shtml

County gears up for Y2K emergencies

Commissioners declare a precautionary state of emergency so the county administrator can act if necessary.

By ALISA ULFERTS

) St. Petersburg Times, published December 22, 1999

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Most states of emergency are called after a catastrophe strikes. But county commissioners on Tuesday declared a precautionary emergency -- just in case one hits on New Year's Day.

That way, County Administrator John Gallagher will have the executive power he needs to deal with any Y2K crises without calling an emergency County Commission meeting.

"This will give myself the authority during that time to do anything necessary to make sure the county's safe," Gallagher said.

"About every locality in the state is doing something," Gallagher said, adding that the county expects no disruption of services when midnight strikes Dec. 31. "We think when everyone comes back to work on Monday and turn on their PCs (personal computers) that there may be some disruption."

The county will open its emergency operations center at 7 a.m. on Dec. 31 -- exactly one hour after the year 2000 begins in New Zealand -- in case any millennium disasters visit Pasco, said Emergency Management Director Michele Baker.

The center will remain open for as long as is needed, Baker said. Residents with questions or concerns about interrupted services such as water or electricity can call the county's Resident Information Center at 847-8959 after the emergency center opens.

Baker assured commissioners that the county won't have any trouble with services.

"All systems that have been deemed to be critical for county operations have been made Y2K compliant," Baker said. There likely won't be any trouble in the private sector, either, but the county wants to be prepared to respond there if needed, Baker has said.

The fear behind the Y2K bug is that computer systems, which only use two digits for the year in dates, will read the 00 in a date as 1900, not 2000. Some government computer systems, such as court calendars that assign dates for hearings, already have asked people to be present for meetings in January, 1900.

County officials have gone through all computers that manage utilities and other services to ensure that services won't shut down. The outside auditor who reviewed Pasco's efforts to get ready for Y2K has given the county a thumbs-up.

But if there are any problems, there will be extra deputies and police to handle the calls, according to a news release.

Staff writer Alisa Ulferts covers Pasco County government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or (800) 333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is ulferts@sptimes.com. 1

-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@AOL.COM), December 27, 1999