Fire, theft top Y2K fears

November 30, 1999

BY FRAN SPIELMAN CITY HALL REPORTER

A rash of robberies and fires tied to Y2K panic is City Hall's biggest concern as the countdown to the year 2000 approaches.

The Daley administration believes it's covered all the bases after spending four years and $55 million troubleshooting. What it cannot control is how Chicagoans react--or over-react.

"I'm concerned about people hooking up generators the wrong way, having it surge back into their networks and blowing up their kitchens, or taking a lot of money out of the bank and getting robbed on the way home or losing it," said Beth Boatman, the Y2K chief for Mayor Daley.

"That's why we're gonna be busy that night--putting out fires. The Fire Department will be staffed for the likelihood that there will be a lot of fires--maybe not just from generators, but from kerosene-fueled heating."

All command-level employees in the Fire Department are scheduled to work New Year's Eve. Newly appointed Fire Commissioner James Joyce also has contingency plans for calling out additional fire companies in the event of a dramatically increased workload.

To minimize the risk of fire, the city is advising residents and businesses not to purchase their own generators unless back-up power is needed to keep a homebound patient alive.

All of the critical services--water, fuel, airports, ambulances, 911 emergency dispatch--have been secured, either with back-up generators, new computers or Y2K fixes.

Last week, Police Supt. Terry Hillard riled Mayor Daley and touched off a minor panic when he advised police officers to prepare for the Y2K rollover by storing a two-week supply of water for each family member and withdrawing enough money from bank accounts to cover necessary expenditures for a month.

Boatman responded by firing off her own, more soothing letter advising the city's 40,000-plus employees. There was no mention of stockpiling water.

"You don't need to be saving water. There should be no issue with the water supply whatsoever," Boatman said.

"If we lost power at the filtration plant, we have two hours of clean water in the system. Because backup power generation is expensive, one of the options was to put them at pumping stations only so we could put out fires. But, we decided to go ahead and make the investment at both filtration plants, so we could have drinking water as well."

To prevent unnecessary hoarding from causing shortages at local grocery stores, the city is working with Dominick's and Jewel on a public service announcement to be aired throughout December.

It will advise people to do their grocery shopping earlier than normal during New Year's week--preferably by Wednesday--and to buy only enough food to make it through the weekend.

Grocery stores routinely keep three days of stock, but they're "anticipating a run on food" and plan to have greater quantities than normal available, Boatman said.

"Just buy your groceries ahead of time, so you don't have to stand in line. The lines will be terrible," Boatman said.

"We've also talked to the railroads and the trucking companies. Their supply chain seems strong. We won't be able to get strawberries from Brazil, but, then, we can't afford them in January, anyway. The only thing we need to worry about is people going in and stocking up on a month's worth of canned goods."

With the Police Department canceling days off, Fraternal Order of Police President Bill Nolan has another concern: That the extra police officers on the street will become easy targets for the random gunshots and sporadic violence that occurs every New Year's Eve.

"Once again, the department is pushing the proverbial panic button," Nolan said. "It's foolish to put all of those extra police officers out on the street at midnight on New Year's Eve, which is always a battle zone. All they're doing is putting extra targets out there for some of these nuts who want to start firing their thousands of guns."

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), November 30, 1999

Answers

Interesting to note that Chicago appears to have spent about six times less money on Y2K repairs than NYC.

-- Ed Yourdon (ed@yourdon.com), November 30, 1999.

Too bad about the strawberries, too.

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), November 30, 1999.

Dog,

I picked Raspberries for the winter and froze them.

Hey, If the turn over is a non event, why would people be firing up the kerosene heater? No need to turn on that generator until you need it. Do they think we are mindless drones wandering toward the flames of some brush fire. Daley has me perplexed. I am constantly conflicted in regard to his position on everything.

-- Sheila P (Sheilamars@aol.com), November 30, 1999.

Sheila,

lol re:heaters, I thought the same thing.

DG,

Yes, what a shame about the strawberries.

-- Deborah (infowars@yahoo.com), November 30, 1999.

Ack! Gaa! Do they think none of their readers are capable of comparing two statements?

1) "advising residents and businesses not to purchase their own generators " 2) "critical services ... have been secured ... with back-up generators"

1) "You don't need to be saving water. 2) "There should be no issue with the water supply "

(hint: The need will be based on what does happen, not what should happen. And even Koskinen is advising stocking 3 days of water!)

Aaa. Can't think rationally any more. Their wierd logic has fried what was left of my brain.

10 PRINT "ALL IS WELL" 20 GOTO 10

One sobering thought though: "the extra police officers on the street will become easy targets for the random gunshots and sporadic violence that occurs every New Year's Eve." Sobering indeed. Hats off to anyone in the emergency services: police, fire, medical. Words can't convey my admiration.

-- Colin MacDonald (roborogerborg@yahoo.com), November 30, 1999.

(Oops, I forgot: thanks for the post, Dog Gone)

-- Colin MacDonald (roborogerborg@yahoo.com), November 30, 1999.

DG,

Thanks from me as well, may I trouble you for the link?

-- Deborah (infowars@yahoo.com), November 30, 1999.

Sure, here's the link: Link< p>Funny how the Mayor's office assumes power will be out and that they'll be putting a lot of fires out that night. Sounds like a good night to have stored water for firefighting, if nothing else.

Got fire extinguishers?

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), November 30, 1999.

If *I* lived in Chicago, I'd be worried about crooked politicians, crooked cops, and crooked businessmen in bed with the above.

I'd *also* be worried about the dead people.

What happens if -- because of problems with the date "rollover" -- the dead walk the streets of Chicago and start voting?

Has anyone factored in the mayhem that would result from thousands of dead folk voting on New Year's Day instead of Election Day?

It could easily turn chaotic!

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), November 30, 1999.

woops...

LINK

Dang , I wish there was a preview function.

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), November 30, 1999.

Foolish - and inconsistent...but threatening in what's not being said:

<<"You don't need to be saving water. There should be no issue with the water supply whatsoever," Boatman said.

"If we lost power at the filtration plant, we have two hours of clean water in the system. Because backup power generation is expensive, one of the options was to put them at pumping stations only so we could put out fires. But, we decided to go ahead and make the investment at both filtration plants, so we could have drinking water as well."

To prevent unnecessary hoarding from causing shortages at local grocery stores, the city is working with Dominick's and Jewel on a public service announcement to be aired throughout December.... It will advise people to do their grocery shopping earlier than normal during New Year's week--preferably by Wednesday--and to buy only enough food to make it through the weekend. ... The only thing we need to worry about is people going in and stocking up on a month's worth of canned goods.">>

--- So the city has TWO HOURS of water - if power is lost. But they don't want people to store water in case of troubles.

They put in emergency generators, but worry about fires from people running generators and using kerosene heaters - but are going to actually advertise NOT TO PREPARE - they are worried about people "hoarding supplies" and don't want people to get canned food.....because they might have to stand in lines.....

---

Then again, perhaps the advertisements themselves will trigger some people to prepare in at least a limited way......

---

But note the "thousands of gun shots" comments: as a trigger from the Democratic administration declare an emergency on gun control and begin rounding up those with registered weapons.....

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), November 30, 1999.

I'm suprised these big brainned politicians don't recommend NOT buying a ladder because there are some idiots who stand on the top and fall off. Don't buy ladders leave them up to the professionals.

-- squid (Itsdark@down.here), November 30, 1999.

There CAN'T be "thousands of gunshots" in Chicago.

Posession of Guns in Chicago is illegal. Therefore, there will be NO gunshots.

-- plonk! (realaddress@hotmail.com), November 30, 1999.

ok here goes... to the officers who may be walking targets-tough luck buddy you are perverted enough to become a cop you deal with what that entails

to the millions of cops-may karma deal you the same hand you've all dealt many a time

-- thekid (frorider76@hotmail.com), November 30, 1999.

and oh yeah LOL AT PLONK!!

-- thekid (frorider76@hotmail.com), November 30, 1999.

There CAN'T be "thousands of gunshots" in Chicago. Posession of Guns in Chicago is illegal. Therefore, there will be NO gunshots.

-- plonk! (realaddress@hotmail.com), November 30, 1999.

"What about that whole 2nd amendment thing to that ... errr... constitution thingy?"

-- MegaMe (CWHale67@aol.com), November 30, 1999.

Why is the mayor worried about people using kerosene heaters or generators, since there will be no utility failures?

-- Bill Byars (billbyars@softwaresmith.com), November 30, 1999.