Australian "EMA" "Has yet to define it's Y2K priorities.."

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A HREF="http://www.newswire.com.au/9906/ema.htm">EMA yet to decide its Y2K priorities

-- E A (elliot127@yahoo.com), June 10, 1999

Answers

EMA yet to decide its Y2K priorities


-- oops (a@a.com), June 11, 1999.

when you follow oops' hotlink, it takes you to their newer y2k/EMA story, which says they HAVE worked out their emergency priorities. So what are these priorities???

"According to Hodges, EMA's highest priority during the Y2K period will be saving lives. Its next priorities are reducing serious injury, then reducing serious disruption to community life.

EMA is looking to have these priorities endorsed at the senior government level in the next few months."

Well big f**ckin DUH! Of course those are the priorities, they're the same priorities any emergency organisation is always going to be operating with. Maybe they could be a little more specific about where they know the emergencies are likely to occur?? Or maybe that's the whole point, they cannot work out which problems are most likely, and so are reduced to making the feeble statement that they have.

This new story, which says they have worked out their priorities, is a transparent attempt to sound on-the-ball and in control, whereas the old story, which said they haven't worked out their priorities because it's really difficult to do so, was honest. Note the backpeddling on other aspects of y2k. In the older article, EMA spokesman Flanagan has this said about him

" He mentioned that as part of this process of public education EMA would be advising Australians to have a stockpile of supplies for use in the event of a Y2K emergency."...

whereas in the second article, Director General of EMA (I guess he's the big cheese) Alan Hodges, says this " "We certainly don't recommend stockpiling...but any family should be prepared for any natural disaster." (Sound Familiar??)

The big cheese also makes a point of saying that "The utilities and banks are progressing well." Although this left me wondering...what on Earth have banks to do with emergency mangement?? (Don't worry, I know the answer.) Is this just a comment on the generally rosey(?) overall y2k remediation situation; or is it an instance of a government employee following some directive to say something cheerful about banks and y2k at every given opportunity; or is it perhaps indicative that this EMA chief understands that the fate of Y2k remediation projects at banks will have a large impact on the number of "emergencies" that his organization will be up against. ???

Hokkonnono!

-- number six (Iam_not_a_number@hotmail.com), June 11, 1999.


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