Alaskans beware Y2K threat is real

Where will most people be on New Years Eve? Well, in a recent national poll 68 percent of Americans said they planned to stay at home.

Millennium concerts and other extravaganzas around the world have been canceled. Airlines are canceling flights due to low bookings. This apparent apathy is due, in part, to concern about the bite expected from the Y2K computer bug.

Having worked on the Y2K problem daily since July 1998, I can tell you the Y2K threat was and is a real one. But I can also tell you, for Alaska, we believe the threat has been contained.

We have all heard about the possibility of airplanes falling from the sky, power grid failures and perhaps worst of all, our VCRs and microwaves ceasing to work. Some of these predictions have proven to be partially true in testing, others have not.

There is no evidence airplanes will fall out of the sky. But key systems used by the FAA, airlines, and airports did have to be fixed to avoid problems.

Also, Alaska does not have a true power grid. We are not dependent on power generated outside the state, as is the case for many Lower 48 cities. Each large community in Alaska can meet its own power needs.

And some of these predictions were kind of silly. For instance, the date on my VCR will probably not blink any differently after Y2K than it did before. And, I dont think any of us use our microwaves based on what day it is.

But what is the real Y2K threat in Alaska? You had to look hard to find a single life-threatening Y2K problem if looked at on its own.

The real threat posed by Y2K was that a multitude of computer problems would occur at the same time. For example, we examined 281 state facilities and found Y2K problems in 12 percent. While this percentage doesnt sound like much, it would have meant about 34 buildings with simultaneous problems.

Faced with the prospect of so many potential problems, Y2K problem-solvers did the only thing they could they concentrated on reducing risk. In Alaska, we have taken action with a four-tiered statewide Y2K strategy.

The first tier was a statewide outreach effort to raise public Y2K awareness and provide information to avoid problems. Community Y2K forums held in six regions of the state provided an opportunity for public discussions about Y2K with government agencies, private sector service providers, major utilities, and emergency response agencies and organizations.

The second part of our effort was correcting Y2K bugs in the most important automated state systems. We selected 105 critical programs based on potential impact on the life, health, safety, or economic well-being of Alaskans.

Literally hundreds of state employees over the past year have worked to solve the problems in these systems.

The result? To date, the likelihood of Y2K problems has been eliminated or reduced to 98 percent of the 105 critical program and service areas. We fully expect this figure to be 100 percent by the end of December.

The third tier is Y2K contingency planning. Even though we feel confident a due diligent approach to solving our Y2K problems was taken, we cannot be too careful. After all, no one has ever been through a millennium change before. Y2K contingency plans are now in place for all 105 critical state service and program areas.

Finally, a critical part of our Y2K strategy has involved implementing the Y2K Annex to the statewide emergency management plan and response capability, coordinated by Brigadier General Phil Oates and the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA).

Through this effort, DMVA has integrated the response capabilities of local, state, and federal emergency response and disaster relief entities throughout the state. Alaskas ultimate Y2K safety net will be managed from the Emergency Coordination Center at Fort Richardson.

Yes, some things may still go wrong because of Y2K, in spite of everybodys efforts to prevent them. If they do, they probably wont be serious, or last very long. But as Alaskans, we are uniquely prepared to face any challenges Y2K may present after all, we face the challenge of living in Alaska daily.

For more information check out www.ak.state.us/y2000. In the event of an emergency, you can call the Alaska Y2K Statewide Emergency Coordination Center toll-free at 1-877-72-AKY2K (877-722-5925).

Bob Poe is the states senior Y2K project manager and commissioner of the Alaska Department of Administration.