Fayette

County is ready for the year 2000, reports Jack

Krakeel, director of the county Department of

Fire and Emergency Services.

"Fayette

County is prepared and ready to meet the

challenge," Krakeel told The Citizen

following a recent report to the County

Commission on the county's readiness for the

so-called Y2K bug.

Krakeel

analyzed all of the county's administrative and

emergency computer systems over recent weeks and

concluded that computer software and hardware is

Y2K compliant, he said.

The

only system that falls short, he said, is the

computer aided dispatch system used by the

emergency 911 center, but that system is

scheduled for replacement soon, he added.

Utilities

that serve the county also are in good shape, so

there's little likelihood of major power outages

or other problems, he added.

As

for whether Fayette's emergency services are

ready for any widespread panic or other problems

that have been predicted by some when the clock

strikes midnight Jan. 1, Krakeel said agencies

will be "fully staffed," but they're

not anticipating major problems.

"I'm

not overly pessimistic that we're going to have a

major problem on our hands," he said.

"The water system is OK. The electrical

providers and other utilities have responded and

they seem to be fairly well geared up for

it."

If

the roll over to 2000 does bring about major

problems because computer systems are confused by

the century change, Fayette will have plenty of

warning, Krakeel added. "We'll see what's

happening abroad six to eight hours before it

hits here," he said.

"I

think there will be some minor inconveniences to

the general public," he said, adding,

"If anybody has a special need, we'd like to

know about that."

People

on life support or using electronic devices for

health reasons need to make sure that equipment

is Y2K compliant, he said, and should alert the

Department of Fire and Emergency Services ahead

of time if they have any worry that something

might go wrong.

Emergency

workers are working to identify as much as

possible those who may need individual

assistance, he added.

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