by Peter Szerlag - May 29, 1999
Preparedness
0. Have a manual backup for everything.
1. Park all vehicles out doors or with garage doors open so that failures of garage door openers do not immobilize vehicles.
2. Have 2 weeks worth of extra batteries for all battery powered equipment - plan for heavy duty usage of all battery powered equipment during this 2 week period.
3. Have portable shortwave 2 way radio transceivers available for every Chief of Department.
4. Fill all tanks - water, fuel, foam, oxygen, SCBA, oil, etc. Double stock all supplies of disposables, paper, pens, tires, and filters.
5. Purchase large amounts of Barricade Gel - see www.barricadegel.com (I have never used this product in my life but it sure sounds handy for preventing conflagrations when all the hydrants are dry) - Try "Drench" also
All advice is only approximate.
June 16, 1999 - Van Nuys CA in Los Angeles - Y2K drill at sewerage plant - computer shut valve feeding the plant with sewerage and did not tell operators - 5 million gallons of sewarge leaked into nearby park - unknown reason for computer problem.
July 4, 1999 - Here is a great Y2K website with tons of articles about recent Y2K events - �Great Y2K Website�
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Everything above was written before July 11, 1999
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Everything below is written after December 26, 1999
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December 27, 1999 - New York City publicizes their Y2K preparations - 19,000 police officers will be on duty - 8,000 of them will be in the Times Square area - 300 plainclothes police will be in the Times Square area - 6 police helos will be in the air - 24 blocks by 3 blocks at Times Square will become a pedestrian mall with all manhole covers welded shut and all mailboxes and newspaper boxes removed - FDNY will have 2 or 3 times the normal number of dispatchers on duty
December 27, 1999 - Berkeley CA will put their police on 12 hour shifts - half of the 200 person force will be on duty at Y2K
Connecticut - FBI reports that no credible threats exist to Connecticut - all CN FBI agents will be on duty on Y2K - FBI Command Post will be in New Haven - I was told that all of the Governor's Cabinet will be going into a bunker
Minnesota - the MN National Guard will have 6 officers on duty at a Command Post in downtown Saint Paul with other state agencies and utilities - Governor Jessie the Slammer will visit the CP twice - MN will have 2 Y2K Command Posts
Madison WI - PD will be at full strength (whatever that means)
Clark County Oregon - the County Comm Center will have 100 people on duty instead of the normal 2 people
Alabama Department of Public Safety will have ?all of their 642 arresting officers on duty - the National Guard has 250 heavy duty generators and will have their 14,100 Army Guard + 2,500 Air Guard staff on call (2 Natl Guard liasion officers will be at the Clanton EOC and a few duty officers will be at 6 regional Natl guard offices)(I hope they are depending on phones to do callups)
Massachusetts - Marlboro Hospital - if hospital employees do not receive an all-clear phone call by 130AM, they are requested to report to duty at the hospital
Massachusetts - Framingham Police will have 10 extra police officers on duty
Massachusetts - Acton Police and Fire will double the normal number of staff on duty
Illinois - Chicago - ?no extra police or fire will be onduty
12/21/99 - NENA reports that 99% of 911 centers are now magically compliant
California - Los Angeles City - no extra fire dispatchers will be on duty - ?extra police will be onduty
France - 11,000 police will be on duty - soldiers will guard airports and rail stations
Germany - all police will be on duty and all volunteer fire stations will be manned - extra ambulances will be staffed
12/26/99 - I have no idea what Boston will be doing