Have just chaired a Community Emergency Services Y2K Planning meeting. At the meeting we were informed by the local Hire Services that large sized generators are simply not available 'globally'. Those that might be available are coming out of factories. Those that are already around the City and portable will be acquired under Civil Defence Emergency acquistion for the essential service.

This group has a very short focus over the Y2K transition and are much concerned about how to get 10 to 15k citizens out of the city without riots during a power cut on New Year's Eve.

Any ideas about this one?

Do we ban people from the Millennium Celebrations? Do we ban cars from the City Centre? Do we light the city with car headlights on the main routes? Do we set up video cameras as a deterent on riotous behaviour? Do we hold millennium Celebrations on TV and have no inner City Count down? Then at least the folks will be at home.

Do we hire a farm and hold the Celebration there collecting keys at the gate and breath test everyone before they go home?

So the questions is:

Any ideas on 'safe' city celebrations? Every City must address this issue...

-- Bob Barbour (r.barbour@waikato.ac.nz), January 13, 1999

Answers

I don't like to be so grim, but the idea of celebrating next Jan 1, is rediculous. Maybe we really do need a meltdown.

-- King of Free Estimates (Isveryskeptical@this.time), January 13, 1999.

Think our military friends may have something to say about Party Planning, but it is good to develop your own City contingencies. No matter how frightened ppl will be, still the desire to party and celebrate will be there.

I think neighborhood parties in 4-block parcels will be the answer, with reporters showing live feeds on split screens so ppl can get the city-wide feeling on TV. As long as electricity stays on. I know of one city that is planning a subdued New Year's Eve locally-contained roster of old-fashioned celebrations with a promise of a huge city bash 3 weeks later if everything's still OK.

It'd be nice to have something between New Years and Valentine's Day anyway ;-)

Ashton & Leska in Cascadia, on a committee wondering same things

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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), January 13, 1999.

Forget about cancelling celebrations completely - ain't gonna happen - no how, no way. Best hope is to minimize congestion, large crowds, and liquor.

Ban cars from city center? Sounds good.

Multiple smaller festivals away from center - to spread out impact.

Subway, train, cab's also not likely to work.

Ambulances, rapid response? Police? Fire? Already stressed most likely. No large fireworks recommended - they will only attract crowds to one area.

Definitely: No "city-wide Official" celebrations or parties. Discourage private parties - "celebrate quitely with family."

Anything else? Anybody? NZ is at a small disadvantage here - they will first up to seen effect. So others, by the time GMT crosses, may have time to cancel events. Better not to schedule in first place.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 13, 1999.

Ok, ridiculous.

-- King of Free Estimates (isveryskeptical@this.time), January 13, 1999.

We will be trying to organize neighborhood get-to-know-each-other Preparation Potlucks beginning July with Independence Day Picnics aimed at a new definition of Independence: Self-Reliance Off the Infrastructure Grid.

We're thinking that by then enough ppl will have gotten Y2K-semi-aware and will be curious/nervous enough to take part. The neighborhood block picnics will have displays of 72-Hour Kits for all to see, with Red Cross checklist brochures free for the taking and using.

Of course 72-Hour Kits are on the short side but the fear is that anything more for the first impression will intimidate the neophytes so they won't even start.

What do you think, Mr. Barbour?

Ashton & Leska in Cascadia, who haven't thought of the trampling issues yet

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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), January 13, 1999.

I am currently working with the City Public Relations and Social Services Group on putting together an early warning 2 page flyer on Y2K. The purpose of this is much the same as your July meeting with the added idea of helping folks through the Awareness, Denial, Acceptance Anger and on to Action as soon as possible within a time frame which allows for individual actions.

I am keen to shift responsiblity to individuals as soon as possible because that reduces dependency. We have an aware older group, 40+ who are likely to be well informed and a larger group from say 18 to 35 who are either 'indestructable' or tied up with raising families. The singles are my larger concern because they have high potential to resort the direct action to provoke problems.

Neither group reads much and contact with the world is limited to TV sound bites. Not a good basis for future oriented thinking.

So, targetting information that gets the message across to these folks about Y2K will be hard.

(Bless me if wouldn't be in the middle of the group were I 18 again!)

I think your suggestions are good ones though and a small block focus is high on my priority list for reducing uncontrolled behaviour.

I think the "time to be with your family" is a good theme as well.

We have the added problem of the folks from elsewhere coming to celebrate Y2K. Some 250,000 people without Kiwi ideas of behaviour could generate more than a headache for us. Most of these people will not be in my city but their actions will thin the ranks of emergency services thus making us prone systemic consequences following even minor problems.

A promised City wide party after Y2K may be worth following up.

-- Bob Barbour (r.barbour @waikato.ac.nz), January 13, 1999.

You people are goofy.

-- Rocky (whatsamatta@you.org), January 13, 1999.

Bob,

If, on December 31, 1999 we here in the United States see New Zealand, then Australia and then Japan fall victim to embedded system problems as they roll into 2000, I'm sure most of the U.S. will change whatever plans they had for that evening. I'm sure the major TV networks here will have LOTS of coverage about it.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), January 13, 1999.