Nevada plans big Dec. 9 Y2K readiness test

CARSON CITY - Imagine Y2K at its worst: Drunken mobs, computer crashes, no lights, car fuel or phones. That's the premise of a Dec. 9 test to see if Nevada's state and local governments can handle the turn of the century.

Nothing's iffy about it, as far as the state's Y2K coordinator is concerned. But even though planning has gone on for months - years in some cases - and Peter Reinschmidt is confident, the test will assume the worst.

"Most of the major concerns have been addressed," he says. "People will wake up New Year's Day and they may be a little inconvenienced. But someone will be working on it. If things happen, they'll be worked out in a timely manner."

That said, on Dec. 9 Reinschmidt will oversee a state crew of about 50 people in a Y2K command center, dealing with possible crises such as rioters torching palm trees on the Las Vegas Strip.

The crew will be in contact with local government counterparts around the state, especially in Las Vegas, Reno and South Lake Tahoe, where huge crowds of partying - and potentially troublesome - tourists are expected on New Year's Eve.

Information and orders will go back and forth via normal and backup communications systems. Testing will involve police, fire and other emergency services. Participants will include agencies and companies involved in transportation, medical care, energy, hazardous materials, power and food supplies.

"Primarily, it's the state's readiness in responding to local governments' needs," says Reinschmidt. "We'll be responding to Y2K issues as well as the potential for civil disobedience."

The same team from the Dec. 9 drill will show up New Year's Eve at the Carson City command center, which will stay open "until there's no longer a need for a response," Reinschmidt says.

"Something like this is in place every year," he adds. "It's just not as large a scale as this is. This is a very large, coordinated effort."

Frank Siracusa, chief of the state Division of Emergency Management and Reinschmidt's boss, says the planning and mock tests shouldn't frighten people.

"We do the same thing all year long with earthquake and flood scenarios," Siracusa adds. "We're not saying it's going to happen. We just want to have our people to be the best they can be in helping out."

Bob Andrews, who heads Clark County's emergency management program in Las Vegas, says the planning is vital because of the prospect of some 500,000 revelers on the Las Vegas Strip. Last New Year's Eve there were about 300,000 people on the street.

"We don't want to unduly alarm people," Andrews adds. "Most of us feel that we're going into this pretty well prepared. There will be problems but we will get through it OK."

"It's just the magnitude," Andrews say. "We've had drinking, fights, violence in the past. It would be naive to think it won't happen this year."

Computer crashes are also part of the testing. But Jim Polito of the state Department of Information Technology says all major computer systems run by the state have been renovated to make them Y2K compliant.

"We're cautiously optimistic," Polito adds. "But now we're doing the next step. Despite our confidence, contingency planning is a big part of the process. The state is being thorough."

Polito's boss, Information Technology chief Marlene Lockard, says her agency spent more than $6 million to change 5,000 lines of code and to conduct extensive Y2K testing on state computers.

Also, embedded computer chips that run heating, ventilation, elevators, security and fire alarm systems in state buildings have been checked. Extra generation power has been added at state institutions such as the mental health centers and prisons.

The state also developed a Y2K compliant payroll system for workers and a basic accounting system. Other steps include preprinted welfare checks in case computerized payment systems for recipients bog down.

The Y2K problem stems from the fact that older computer systems were programmed to recognize only the last two digits of a year. Without changes the computers would be working on data as if it were 1900, rather than 2000.

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