The Otsego County Office of Emergency Services will be operating on Dec. 31 through Jan. 1. and the county has produced a brochure about Y2K preparedness. The county has been working on Y2K issues since 1997, said John Nader, chairman of the county's Y2K Committee, and the plan has been submitted to the county's insurance carrier. The county has acquired enough generators to run vital county services if power goes out and staffing options are under review, he said. But neither approach is appropriate, he said. There isn't a need to hoard food, he said, or to pocket cash beyond being ready for an emergency such as a storm.
Preparation is the key here.
Otsego County and the city of Oneonta are taking a similar approach to Y2K concerns and are sharing information, said Robert Barnes, chief of the Oneonta Fire Department and Y2K coordinator for the city. If there is an impact from Y2K, it will effect everyone, he said. Last week, Barnes spoke to human services workers at the Opportunities for Otsego offices in Oneonta. Barnes also asked for help identifying vulnerable populations, including elderly residents and people dependent on oxygen machines or medical care. The city and county are developing communications systems, he said, so that residents can indicate a need for help if telephones are out of service during the turn of the century.