Even at agencies where year 2000 repairs are farther along, extensive contingency planning is underway. The phone company says they are 98 percent certain it won't go down. But if that 2 percent and 1 percent cross, we need to be prepared. Each officer will have a radio, and each of the 10 antenna sites for the radio system will have a backup generator. The city's 150 school crossing guards will learn how to handle traffic if lights go out.
Staff is prepared to process crime reports and bookings by hand.
We can't say, 'Sorry, Mr. Burglar, we can't book you today. At the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, leave time is being restricted for the 1,763-member staff between Dec. 15 and Jan. 15. Crews on the 16 ladder trucks are being given the tools and training to perform elevator rescues, supplementing the city's three regular rescue squads. Fire trucks and ambulances already have been checked. All 21 warming centers, most at city schools, will be open New Year's Eve.