Coalition 2000 Preparedness Plan Review/Link
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 18:54:33 -0500
From: Terry Cottam <di238@freenet.carleton.ca>
Subject: QLN: Coalition 2000's suggested y2k preparedness plan
This is the first definitive and clear y2k preparedness plan I've
encountered:
http://www.coalition2000.org/prepplan.htm
It's from Coalition 2000. Even in its current draft form, it brings
together all the principle players needed to make it work. It offers some
excellent common sense guidelines. In my opinion, it fills the gap between
the Utne guide's citizen-driven community preparedness approach, and the
rhetoric of paralysis coming from all our political leaders. Example:
"Local governments, emergency management teams, community
groups, civic organizations, and businesses must work as partners to address
community issues and concerns. Leaders of these organizations will also
be expected to provide the necessary guidance and resources to facilitate
these efforts. Local leadership is the key to success in making our communities
'Y2K Ready'."
Our group in Ottawa is calling for a joint citizen/government taskforce.
The Coalition agrees, and in fact goes much further:
"Organize a Community Preparedness Taskforce
"Rapidly establish a community preparedness team. This team should
have high-level
executive sponsorship from elected or other community leaders. It is critical
to involve
emergency management and public safety officials as well as not-for-profits
such as the Red Cross and other first responders. The groups should be as
broad-based as possible and include representatives of all critical service
sectors and the community in general. Smaller groups should be formed at
the neighborhood level that will coordinate with the large group."
I urge you all to read this document. It's called "Suggested Steps
of Y2K
Community Preparedness." If you don't have a web browser, let me know
and
I'll email it (it's about 10 pages printed).
Again, this remains a draft. One thing I would expand on is their "Likely
Y2K Scenarios." For instance:
"...many of the anticipated problems will occur throughout
1999 and 2000.
In addition, disruption at various points along the supply chain,
especially with imported goods, may cause shortages of food and supplies
that bill be nagging and on-going in nature.... In addition, supply chain
failures may take weeks to manifest themselves and then linger for weeks
or
months. Given these factors, and the issues of practicality, we recommend
planning and preparedness based on the assumption that there may be various
types of occasional interruptions over the 1999 and 2000 time periods."
What I might add to this document is an action plan to create more
long-term community resilience. This might include increasing local
production of food and other basic needs. In Ottawa, we intend to hold a
forum in April, in which rural and urban community leaders in our region
can come together, create a plan for this and put it to work.
Recent reports say that the oil industry, ports and shipping will be among
the sectors hardest hit by y2k. The Asia-Pacific region and many other
parts of the world will not be ready. We can expect a steep drop in imports
which may take months or years to recover.
A date to watch will be May 2000, when farmers will be planting crops in
the Northern hemisphere. It will then be four months from the peak of y2k
disruptions. What will be our supply situation? How might we ensure that
the harvest of 2000 is at least comparable to that of 1999?
Best wishes,
Terry Cottam, President
Y2K Regional Preparedness Group
Y2K Centretown Preparedness Contact
y2k-ottawa@inode.org
http://y2k.inode.org
(613) 236-6433