CALIFORNIA NOW URGES WEEK LONG Y2K PREPARATIONS

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3/3/1999 - California urges citizens to stock up & prepare

CALIFORNIA JOINS RED CROSS, FEMA IN URGING PUBLIC TO STOCK SUPPLIES

[news]

The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services has joined the ranks of organizations urging the public to prepare. In an official OES brochure now available on the Internet (link below), California, "...is encouraging California residents to prepare now for Y2K using similar steps at those used for other emergencies such as earthquakes and severe winter weather."

Suggestions include:

"Store one gallon of water per person per day..."

"Have plenty of nonperishable food on hand for your family to survive on for three days to a week."

"Have sleeping bags available as well as plenty of blankets and warm clothing. Make sure you have plenty of wood for wood-burning stoves..."

"Keep an extra supply of prescriptions and mediciations or other medical supplies used by your family."

"Prepare for possible disruption of electrical power. Have some extra cash on hand in case computer-controlled electronic transactions involving ATM cards, credit cards, and the like cannot be processed."

Read the full document at:

http://www.oes.ca.gov/OESHomeP.nsf/Images/Y2KNewsletter/$file/Y2Kn'ltr.pdf

HOUSEHOLDS URGED TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT

Last week, Portland, Oregon Mayor Vera Katz used the phrase, "self-sufficient" in describing her goal for Portland's 200,000 households. Self-sufficient means 100% independent of the infrastructure. It means an ability to survive with no outside help for a period of days, weeks, or longer.

California's OES, "suggests that all households be prepared to be self-sufficient (able to live without running water, electricity and/or gas, telephone and assistance from safety devices) for three to seven days."

CALIFORNIA LAYS OUT THE POTENTIAL Y2K IMPACTS

[news]

In a no-holds-barred document straight from the California Office of Emergency Services, a plethora of potential Y2K impacts is described in eye-opening detail. Remember, these are not predictions. They are potential impacts only. However, all these are being considered by California emergency services officials, and you should consider them as well.

They include:

Loss of operational control of dams, resulting in loss of life, property damage and environmental damage from floods

Response delays in emergency services due to communications failures

Inoperability of engines, ambulances, aircraft and other rescue support units, resulting in increased civilian deaths and increased property damage

Decreased security in state facilities

Safety system and pollution control system failures in HazMat (hazardous materials) facilities, resulting in explosions, fires, mass casualties, environmental contamination, property damage and delayed essential supplies

Failures in the HazMat response systems, resulting in a failure to warn the public

Failures in medical equipment and facilities, resulting in a reduced ability to cope with disaster casualties

Loss of computer control systems in nuclear power plants, resulting in widespread blackouts, meltdown and release of radiation, or a forced shutdown

Communication systems failures in nuclear power plants resulting in an inability to detect a radioactive release -- also, the inability of the government to know about this or to warn the public

Air traffic control malfunctions resulting in slowed deliveries of medical supplies, aircraft collisions, mass casualties and fires

Transportation system gridlock resulting in delays in mail and medical supplies; also inhibiting emergency response services

Loss of generation or the transmission of electrical power resulting in food spoilage, failures of security systems, water pressure, medical equipment, heating & cooling, public safety, lighting, and more

Loss of handling capacity of solid waste disposal resulting in bio-hazardous waste, methane gas, and environmental pollution

Satellite system failures resulting in failed pagers, cell phones, credit cards and bank functions

Failure of electrical supplies in utility companies, resulting in failed fire detection and suppression systems, failure of refueling systems

Read the full matrix at:

http://www.oes.ca.gov/oeshomep.nsf/10884826d3b7edaa882565f0005adc7f/cf9568f6fb6c678d882566fa00835bbc?OpenDocument

[commentary]

Again, we emphasize these are not predictions. This is a "risk matrix" that outlines potential failures and their consequences. Most importantly, note that had Y2KNEWSWIRE authored this risk matrix, we would have been instantly labeled doomsday alarmists. But when a state prints the list, it's called "responsible strategic risk assessment."

Note that nearly all the suggestions now recognized as common sense and urged by the Red Cross, FEMA, and the California OES were originally suggested by the Y2K awareness community: sites like this one and people like Ed Yourdon, Gary North, Michael Hyatt, Jim Lord, the Y2KNEWS.COM people and others. In fact, the Y2K awareness industry beat the "emergency officials" by at least six months in calling for the public to begin stockpiling supplies.

RADICAL DOESN'T SOUND SO RADICAL ANYMORE

The so-called "radical" has become mainstream. As it turns out, the only "radical" thinking was that of the Y2K dissenters and peddlers of complacency who went out of their way to urge people to do absolutely nothing. After all, could be more radical than encouraging your neighbor to be left completely unprepared when a potential crisis is looming?

As is now obvious, that kind of thinking harms the public and would ultimately get people killed. Preparedness is the only action that makes sense, and the only legitimate debate now should be about the appropriate level of preparedness. Do you prepare for three days or three months? That's the realm of the Y2K debate. Those still calling for you to do nothing are only contributing to an eventual state of emergency and widespread panic. That's how fast Y2K has changed the playing field. Six months ago, those urging preparedness were accused of causing a panic. Today, it has becoming plain to almost everyone that panic only results from people surprised by unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, by acknowledging the Y2K risk and preparing for it, panic can be directly averted.

DO YOU KNOW A SURVIVALIST?

The term, "survivalist" used to conjure images of military-dressed bearded crazy men with grenades and rocket launchers. There might be a couple of those around, but aren't we all "survivalists" really? After all, most of us want to survive Y2K... and prosper on the other side. Everybody that has purchased an extra can of food, taken out a few extra dollars from the bank or put away an extra gallon of water is a survivalist. You're preparing for physical and economic survival, and now, all of a sudden, you realize you are a survivalist. But you don't feel particularly radical, do you? In fact, you hopefully feel a little more confident in your future. And the more you get prepared, the more confidence you'll have. Preparedness generates confidence, and confidence displaces fear. You are becoming an asset to society rather than a potential burden.

Welcome to the new definition of "survivalist," 21st-century-style.

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This page is subject to the following disclaimer: http://www.y2knewswire.com/Index.asp?pageid=disclaimer All statements made herein, and made since August of 1998, are Year 2000 Statements and are retroactively protected as Year 2000 readiness disclosures under the Good Samaritan Act

Copyright ) 1999. All rights reserved.

-- Jean Wasp (jean@sonic.net), March 03, 1999


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