| Y2K? County: No big
deal By DAVE HAMRICK
Staff Writer
Fayette
County is ready for the year 2000, reports Jack
Krakeel, director of the county Department of
Fire and Emergency Services.
“Fayette
County is prepared and ready to meet the
challenge,” Krakeel told The Citizen
following a recent report to the County
Commission on the county's readiness for the
so-called Y2K bug.
Krakeel
analyzed all of the county's administrative and
emergency computer systems over recent weeks and
concluded that computer software and hardware is
Y2K compliant, he said.
The
only system that falls short, he said, is the
computer aided dispatch system used by the
emergency 911 center, but that system is
scheduled for replacement soon, he added.
Utilities
that serve the county also are in good shape, so
there's little likelihood of major power outages
or other problems, he added.
As
for whether Fayette's emergency services are
ready for any widespread panic or other problems
that have been predicted by some when the clock
strikes midnight Jan. 1, Krakeel said agencies
will be “fully staffed,” but they're
not anticipating major problems.
“I'm
not overly pessimistic that we're going to have a
major problem on our hands,” he said.
“The water system is OK. The electrical
providers and other utilities have responded and
they seem to be fairly well geared up for
it.”
If
the roll over to 2000 does bring about major
problems because computer systems are confused by
the century change, Fayette will have plenty of
warning, Krakeel added. “We'll see what's
happening abroad six to eight hours before it
hits here,” he said.
“I
think there will be some minor inconveniences to
the general public,” he said, adding,
“If anybody has a special need, we'd like to
know about that.”
People
on life support or using electronic devices for
health reasons need to make sure that equipment
is Y2K compliant, he said, and should alert the
Department of Fire and Emergency Services ahead
of time if they have any worry that something
might go wrong.
Emergency
workers are working to identify as much as
possible those who may need individual
assistance, he added.
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