Thursday, March 4, 2010
For the past eight years, residents of the state of California, rest of the US and the world, have not been made to understand the importance of preparing for the upcoming potential Y2K problems and becoming self-reliant against them. The consequences, unless addressed, could be severe, with human repercussions much larger than, for instance, simply not being able to log onto the Internet. Citizens should ask what is the worse case scenario that could occur, and then appropriately plan and meet the challenge head-on in a thoughtful manner.
In the worse case scenario, California alone, for instance, could see:
floods due to the failure of the aqueduct system;
thousands of inmates escaping prisons after the electric fences fail;
failure of communications systems;
heat and lights unable to operate because of the failed electric grid;
all levels of public utilities crippled;
health providers unable to utilize vital equipment such as defibrillators; and
The state unable to mobilize its civil defense due to non-Y2K compliant embedded chip technology in equipment such as helicopters, etc.
As the former chair and current member of the State Assembly’s Committee on Information Technology, I am frequently asked, “Will state government be Y2K ready on January 1, 2000, and how will this impact Californians’ lives?” The answer is that I do not really know how compliant the government is right now, and the impact will depend on developments which will occur between now and midnight on December 31.
Identifying the Problems
In order for us to be ready, three things must take place. First, we should take a solid look at what remains to be done concerning the Y2K problem. Second, we need to prioritize and accomplish the critical tasks that will benefit us most. Finally, we should prepare ourselves for the contingencies outside the government’s control and encourage each person to be Y2K self-reliant for seven days at least after New Year’s currently suggested by the Red Cross.
To be ready for the New Millennium, we must understand the potential issues that may arise with the turn of the century. It is much more than a computer programming problem. The second and most damaging portion is the embedded chip technology in many electronic components. This technology permeates our daily lives in everything from defibrillators in hospitals to the helicopters used by the National Guard.
Even if California is able to fix every problem that currently exists, in the computer code or the embedded chip technology, the state is still not assured a smooth transition. If all of the government’s Data Exchange Partners are not fully compliant, then the effectiveness of the state’s current Herculean efforts to address the Y2K problem may remain in question.
Another component in the Y2K issue demonstrates the interwoven complexities that face California Governor Davis and those leaders who are trying to address the problem on the grand scale. If the state of California can guarantee that the Water Resources Agency Data Exchange Center is fully compliant, but the private telecommunications companies which carry vital water control information fail to become as compliant, we cannot be assured the aqueduct system will work correctly.
Yet another concern is the western power grid, which currently provides power to the fourteen western states, western Canada and Mexico. This grid is far from being Y2K compliant. Without this source of power, we face a potential massive brownout. It is this portion of the Y2K problem that creates the most skepticism among those who have studied the issues. They question the ability of government and other entities to fix this problem before the turn of the Millennium.
With this in mind, it is clear that this issue is more than “just a computer problem.” It is a people problem as well, with wide-ranging ramifications that can impinge on each of our families and on our modern day society.
Resolution Efforts
In California, Governor Davis has proposed a statewide Business Continuity Taskforce, a very positive effort. Its goal is to prepare the state for the New Year by ensuring Y2K compliance throughout. Perhaps this taskforce will aide in alerting citizens about the potential problems on our horizon and encourage them to prepare just in case everything is not 100 percent ready.
In the early 1980s, I spearheaded the Disaster Preparedness Plan for the Cupertino Union School District. We understood that if an earthquake occurred, we would be without essential services for possibly three days. If there should be a “Y2K glitch,” we could possibly be without essential services for a minimum of three to seven days. If individual citizens make themselves Y2K self-reliant, we can be assured that a short-term problem does not create long-term crisis.
This is not a suggestion that we all prepare for the end of civilization, or that we become paranoid as a survivalist might. It is a strong recommendation that as individuals, local communities, small businesses, hospitals, nursing homes, chambers of commerce, day cares, churches, temples, educational institutions, non-profits, etc., we prepare for a temporary inconvenience of the items we consider essential. Items to stock up on include water, nonperishable food, battery-operated radios that are Y2K compliant, blankets and other items which are necessary to surviving the week of inconvenience.
The Y2K problem is not just a computer problem; it is a people problem. For this reason I am suggesting individuals make their own contingency plan while asking questions of those who provide service they depend upon. Ask your bank, local government, utilities, and other institutions if they have attacked this problem at all levels. If individuals and communities become fully aware and prepare for this problem, we as a society can survive this human problem, not just the computer problem.
