At that point, they'll begin to look at their next option, which is the contingency plan. In cases where there is little executive commitment, it may be up to the CIO to make city and county managers aware of the need for implementing backup solutions. The need to somehow make the public aware without panicking them is another job of CIOs. The supply system couldn't deal with an all-out assault like that under any circumstances. So you do have to be careful what you tell people because you end up with a manifestation of the very kind of problem that you're trying to guard against.
Most officials do believe, however, that the public needs to be informed of what's going on.
We believe that when people have good information, they have the opportunity to make calm, rational decisions and are less likely get into this panicky, hoarding behavior. Technology officials can aid the effort by using the World Wide Web and other resources to detail their remediation and testing efforts and let residents know about the manual backup plans that are being put into place. In short, they can get the point across that communities are not attempting to swing into the millennium without a safety net. I don't think you're serving anybody's interest by keeping people in the dark on this. Lubbock has gone so far as to include a Tips for Preparing section on its Year 2000 Web site that outlines the personal contingencies advocated by the Cassandra Project, a grass-roots organization concerned with community preparedness.