Notes on a meeting where Y2K was mentioned

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An Assistant Secretary from the NC Department of Crime Control and Public Safety spoke at a small meeting I attended last night in Durham. His topic was nothing to do with Y2K but he happened to mention something about FEMA which started the ball rolling.

As most of you know, eastern North Carolina was decimated by flooding and is still in dire straits. FEMA has pulled out most of the workers who were here immediately after Floyd hit because they have ten other disaster sites to handle and they are spread thinly. (I remember hearing the same from the Red Cross.) At that, someone said, well, I hope we don't have any problems from Y2K then.

The speaker then commented that his office had heard a rumor that the National Guard would be on standby for rollover but it turned out to be untrue. He noted that if the federal government called out the NG, then they would pay for it; however, if the state called them out the state would have to pay. (The state is strapped after Floyd and will have to impose a 1% increase in the sales tax.) He also mentioned there are 17,000 NG troops in NC. He added that the only thing his office was worried about was from people panicking; they are not worried about actual Y2K problems.

Someone mentioned last night's TV report (above), then someone talked about the problems with half the 911 systems. I explained how they could look up the regular number of the 911 office and use that in an emergency. Suddenly a woman burst out with, "Well, I'M ready. I've got six months of food and supplies in my guest room." Eyebrows were raised but not one of the 18 people present smirked or scoffed. I got the impression that up to the point of those two reports these people had not worried a great deal about Y2K. I wouldn't be at all surprised if some of them stopped at the supermarket on the way home.

I guess the most important piece of information to come out of the meeting is that it looks as if none of us can expect much help from FEMA and the Red Cross if anything untoward happens in the not too distant future, Y2K or not.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), November 12, 1999

Answers

You go girl!! Get those broads organized! Get those grocery carts all lined up and down those aisles! You can do it! I have great faith in you. Hugs

Taz

-- Taz (Taz@aol.com), November 12, 1999.


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