[107235] in Cypherpunks
Fwd: What Washington thinks about Y2K (and NZ, and FEMA)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Declan McCullagh)
Wed Jan 6 23:49:36 1999
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 23:42:17 -0500
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
From: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
Reply-To: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
>Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 23:30:49 -0500
>To: politech@vorlon.mit.edu
>From: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
>Subject: What Washington thinks about Y2K (and NZ, and FEMA)
>
>Today I spoke about Y2K to an American Electronics Association luncheon in
Washington DC. A half-dozen members of the California legislature led by
Assemblywoman Elaine Alquist were connected via videoconference.
>
>After I spoke, the host, Mike Vlahos, went around the room and asked for
comments from an audience of veteran lobbyists, lawyers, and Hill staffers.
A major concern was preventing -- or at least limiting -- Y2K panic. One
person even suggested rationing information the government releases to
journalists to prevent "scaremongering" stories.
>
>Another worry was the international aspect of Y2K, and how even if the US
is OK much of the rest of the world could tank -- and what that national
security aspects of that would be. The Calif. legislators predicted local
governments and state governments would be better prepared than the Feds,
and called for "public-private" partnerships.
>
>In other news, today we learned two more states (Wisconsin and Washington)
are planning to call out the troops for 1-1-00.
>
>-Declan
>
>********
>
>[This is an unduly pessimistic story. As I have written at
http://cgi.pathfinder.com/time/digital/daily/0,2822,13900,00.html household
appliances and consumer electronics are not worth worrying about. But it is
worth noting what the mayor is saying. --Declan]
>
>http://www.press.co.nz/01/99010632.htm
>
>New Zealand news from The Press - January 06, 1999
>
>
> WELLINGTON -- Beware -- the millennium bug could
> strike anywhere.
>
> Any machine or appliance containing a computer chip
> that was not manufactured recently could be at risk
> [...]
> Auckland's Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey says that in
> the worst case New Zealanders could spend the first
> weeks of the new millennium without services such as
> power, sewerage, and water. He wants the army on
> standby as for a civil defence emergency.
> [...]
>
>********
>
>From: sysop@emergency.com >To: declan@wired.com >Date: 6 Jan 1999 13:31:10
CST >Subject: FEMA Report on Y2K... >
>FEMA Urges Local Communities, Emergency Services Sector & Public to Get Ready
>Now for Y2K
>
>Washington January 6, 1999 - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
>officials are urging the emergency management, fire and emergency services
>communities and the public to get ready now for Y2K.
>
>"It is very important that counties, municipalities, school districts and
other
>organizations that have not yet begun to work on Y2K issues, start now," FEMA
>Deputy Director Mike Walker said. "While some failures will be minor
>annoyances, some may have more serious consequences."
>
>The Y2K issue is worldwide and refers to electronic and computer system
>problems that may occur because of the inability of date-sensitive devices to
>compute "2000" when systems move from 1999 to the Year 2000 (Y2K). Virtually
>all systems that rely on computers or electronic devices that refer to
date and
>time may be affected by Y2K in one way or another. This includes power,
>dispatch and communications systems, 911 systems, microcomputers, and much
>more.
>
>In a recent FEMA survey of state emergency management directors concerning
Y2K
>issues at the state and local levels, the directors reported that although
Y2K
>fixes are well underway in state-level emergency preparedness offices, the
>emergency service systems of many counties and municipalities remain
untested.
>
>"Generally states and the larger local governments are aware of and making
some
>progress toward resolving Y2K issues, however, many smaller local governments
>as well as some state and territorial governments seem not to be aware of the
>problem," Walker said. "Clearly the most serious potential for problems is at
>the local level, and this is what we are concerned about."
>
>In February and March, FEMA will conduct Y2K Consequence Management workshops
>around the country to identify critical issues, assess vulnerabilities,
review
>contingency plans and consider policies and decisions that need to be
taken to
>deal with possible Y2K consequences. Participants will include state Y2K
>emergency coordinators, emergency managers and state fire marshals as well as
>regional representatives of FEMA's Federal Response Plan partners.
>
>Many states also reported that they have not developed contingency plans
>specifically for Y2K problems; instead they plan to address problems under
>existing emergency plans or they expect to have their systems Y2K
compliant in
>time. Most states expressed some level of concern over the possibility of
power
>failures, especially where power is provided by smaller utilities. Other
areas
>of concern cited by the states include limited or lack of resources to
assess,
>test and validate systems and fixes for Y2K problems.
>
>"Every community, every organization and every individual has an
obligation to
>learn more about their vulnerabilities and take action to prevent potential
>problems before they occur." Walker said. "Potential problems need to be
>identified and addressed now."
>
>As chair and coordinator of the Emergency Services Sector (EES), FEMA is
one of
>34 sector coordinators working with the President's Council on Y2K Conversion
>(www.y2k.gov), headed by Presidential Advisor John A. Koskinen. The EES group
>is working to make sure that all segments of the nation's emergency
management
>community operate normally through the cross-over period from 1999 to the
Year
>2000 and beyond.
>
>Note: FEMA's online information on Y2K can be found at www.fema.gov/y2k
>
>Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Office of Emergency Information &
>Media Affairs --- Washington, D.C.
>
>Information Available 24 hours a day . . .
>... on the World Wide Web: http://www.fema.gov
>... via fax-on-demand: phone in the U.S.A. (202) 646-FEMA (646-3362)
>... via digital audio for broadcasters & print: contact eipa@fema.gov
> and listen to the FEMA Radio Network on the FEMA Website using RealAudio
>
>
