It's official now (front page of their site and everything)...

Scott

-- Scott Johnson (scojo@yahoo.com), January 06, 1999

Answers

Yahoo!!! Thanks Scott.

Gott'a e-mail some investigative journalists. Encourage everyone to "E-e-e" a friendly link to favorite reporters at your local newsmedia web-sites.

Wondering where they are? Courtesy of Kevin some time ago:

http://www.newslink.org/

http://www.mediainfo.com/ emedia

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 06, 1999.

Wow, that has to be the news of the week!

I don't know wether I should feel happy and show my husband or worry about impending panic and start to cry...I don't have enough beans!

Thanks Scott!

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), January 06, 1999.

Score 1 large point for preparedness.

People who are prepared have no reason to panic. They have no reason to be frightened. They have no reason to cause trouble for others.

-- Arnie Rimmer (arnie_rimmer@usa.net), January 06, 1999.

See also other interesting FEMA snippet reading. Leads and clues. - - Diane

FEMA Y2K Report To Congress, October 2, 1998

Statement For The Record -- Lacy Suiter , Executive Associate Director, Response And Recovery Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, before the Special Committee On The Y2K Technology Problem United States Senate

http://www.fema.gov/ library/y2k1002.htm

FEMA'S Role In The President's Council On Y2k Conversion

FEMA has a role as one of thirty-four sector coordinators supporting the President's Council on Y2K Conversion, chaired by Presidential Advisor, John A. Koskinen. FEMA chairs and coordinates efforts of the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) working group. Primary member agencies include FEMA, the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce (mainly the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration), Defense, Health and Human Services, Interior, and Transportation. The American Red Cross participates as an honorary member. FEMA and the other Emergency Services Sector members are responsible for increasing awareness of emergency services providers throughout the Nation and for encouraging them to assess the readiness of their technology-based systems to support operations before, during, and after the clock rolls over to the year 2000. It is important to clarify that FEMA does not have a role in prevention or response to the causes of computer disruption. FEMA does not have authority or the technical expertise required to perform those types of missions.

[Note: the American Red Cross participates as an honorary member.]

... FEMA and the other Federal agencies report directly to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), on a monthly or quarterly basis, regarding the progress being made with their own systems.

... These Federal agencies are heightening awareness and will provide assessments in the fire services community, emergency medical services community, the National Guard, and, of course, emergency management services, including the volunteer agencies supporting disaster response.

[Note: the National Guard]

Fire Services

... FEMA's United States Fire Administration (USFA) has initiated a multi-phased plan to raise awareness and assess readiness on the Y2K technology problem. This approach was selected to take greatest advantage of the decentralized and independent structure of the fire services community.

... In August, FEMA developed a list of frequently asked questions regarding Y2K and their answers, and formatted them into a Y2K brochure. ... FEMA is currently in the process of direct-mailing the Y2K brochure along with a cover letter to each of the approximately 33,000 individual fire departments across the country.

State and Local Emergency Management

... FEMA's Preparedness, Training, and Exercises Directorate provides grants, guidance, training, and exercise assistance to State and local governments to help them to prepare for all types of emergencies. FEMA has initiated activities to address the Y2K problem and is pursuing outreach activities with its primary constituents, the State and local governments, through their national organizations, the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) and the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM).

... At the September 1998 NEMA Annual Conference in Charleston, South Carolina, the new NEMA President led a discussion of Y2K and identified it as a priority area for the coming year.

[Possible investigative reporting tidbits at NEMA?]

... FEMA will work in partnership with NEMA, IAEM, and other organizations over the next several months to develop emergency preparedness guidance for the entire emergency preparedness community. Information on model State and local Y2K programs and practices will also be collected and shared.

... FEMA's Regional Directors have been asked to contact the State Emergency Management Directors in their region to support this effort.

... Emergency Management Institute (EMI) ... is examining ways to insert Y2K considerations into the exercise scenarios for the Integrated Emergency Management Courses. Y2K considerations add value to an all-hazards curriculum by focusing attention on consequences and operational requirements that could also emerge during other types of technological emergencies.

... In November(1998), FEMA's Associate Director for Preparedness, Training and Exercises will address the IAEM 46th Annual Conference in Norfolk, Virginia, to urge local emergency managers to participate in efforts to raise Y2K preparedness.

[More investigative reporting tidbits?]

... In February 1999, Director Witt will address the National Governor's Association on the status of several FEMA initiatives, including Year 2000 outreach, and offer suggestions on what the Governors can do to further the efforts to raise awareness, promote personal responsibility, and ensure operational readiness at all levels of government.

FEMA'S Responsibility Under The Federal Response Plan

... if preventive measures fail, the signatory agencies to the Federal Response Plan are primed and ready to assist State and local governments with response to consequences of a Y2K problem affecting lives, property, and public health and safety.

[Note: Signatory agencies ... primed and ready]

... The Plan is organized to provide assistance to State and local governments in transportation, communications, public works and engineering, firefighting, information and planning, mass care, resource management, health and medical services, hazardous materials, food, and energy.

[Note: ...mass care...food...energy]

... A Y2K technology problem will create two sets of needs.

... The first includes technological support to the owner/operator of the disrupted system ... The Federal Response Plan is not designed to meet this need.

... The second set of needs includes emergency assistance to State and local governments, to enable them to continue to perform essential community services, such as issuing emergency warnings, disseminating public health and safety information, carrying out health and safety measures, reducing immediate threats to public health and safety, providing temporary housing assistance, and distributing medicine, food, and other goods to meet basic human needs.

... It is difficult to determine the exact nature and extent of the threat posed by the Y2K problem. Reports in print and television media and on the Internet range from predictions of business-as-usual to some form of cyber winter.

[Note: They lurk here?]

... The Council is scheduled to release a report later this year that narrows down the risks and describes a plausible worst-case scenario.

... John Koskinen, Chairman of the President's Council on Y2K Conversion ... stated that, domestically, he is most concerned about small- and medium-sized organizations (public and private); and over- reaction by the public. He believes that the basic infrastructure will work and that there will be no major nationwide catastrophic disruptions, but that there may be needs for Federal response in some service sectors and in some geographic areas.

[Note: Other behind-the-scenes statements indicate John Koskinen, et. al., is more concerned that he publicly states]

... Our primary operational objective will be, in accordance with the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance (Stafford) Act, to respond to physical consequences on lives, property, and public health and safety.

... a Y2K scenario could cause scattered disruptions in critical systems such as traffic control, communications, or power, which would complicate local, State and Federal efforts to provide disaster response. I am particularly concerned about rural areas in northern and western states in December and January, which is severe winter storm season.

... As we wait for the official assessment from the President's Council...

[Note: Search for official assessment details]

... Agencies have reported that the majority of mission-critical facilities and support systems necessary to conduct Federal Response Plan operations will be functional through the Y2K conversion period. Agencies are developing work-around options for those that will not be ready by March 1999.

... The Y2K technology problem involves several dimensions and touches upon nearly every aspect of day-to-day business in the world.

... The efforts of emergency management and fire service organizations cannot be viewed as a substitute for personal responsibility and personal preparedness. Every organization and every individual, in public and private life, has an obligation to learn more about this problem and their vulnerability, so that they may take appropriate action to prevent a problem before it occurs.

... We will keep you informed on our progress as the countdown to the new millenium continues.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 06, 1999.

wow... I think I can use this to turn some DGIs...

Thanks Scott!

Mike =====================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), January 06, 1999.

Thanks Diane for the text.

... John Koskinen, Chairman of the President's Council on Y2K Conversion ... stated that, domestically, he is most concerned about small- and medium-sized organizations (public and private); and over- reaction by the public. He believes that the basic infrastructure will work and that there will be no major nationwide catastrophic disruptions, but that there may be needs for Federal response in some service sectors and in some geographic areas.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If small and med sized businesses need _his, Mr. I Eat out of the Public Trough, concern, what would be public over-reaction, I ask in wonder?

Just spent an afternoon re-reading a year and a half of y2k stuff squirrled in the computer here in an attempt to track down some of the more obvious disinfo flooding the net. His statement of belief I can only take as more smiley faced spin.

It makes me sick. Because people believe it.

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), January 06, 1999.

Diane,

As I'm sure you are aware, the Red Cross participates in more ways than honorary membership. In disasters (natural and man made) the Red Cross is, by law, the lead agency (ref 1889, 1898, 1918, 1965, etc. for the legislation). In a disaster, I have known any number of people who went to the FEMA table for aid and were referred to the Red Cross first. FEMA uses our street sheets for ascertaining damage, residency (whose house/apt etc.), need, etc.

Chuck who has worked a national DR or so and has taught a course or two.

-- Chuck, night driver (rienzoo@en.com), January 07, 1999.