Individual Preparedness
Emergency management experts are advising that everyone treat the change from December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000 as you would a major winter storm and take the following steps:
To see how you can get involved in your community check out the following sites:
- Don't panic. Panic will only result in hoarding of goods and create the types of shortages government and industry leaders are trying to prevent.
- Buy only what you need to get you through one to three days, such as bottled water and nonperishable foods. Don't wait until the last few days of December to stock up.
- Only take enough cash out of the bank to get you through the weekend, perhaps an extra $50-100 more than you usually do.
- Keep at least half a tank of gas in your car. The same applies to home heating oil.
- If possible, make sure you refill any regularly used prescription drugs prior to the end of the December.
- If you purchase an alternative heating devices, make sure they are approved for use indoors and are listed with the Underwriter's Laboratories (UL).
- Have plenty of flashlights and extra batteries on hand. Don't use candles for emergency lighting.
- Examine your smoke alarms now. If they are wired into your home's electrical system, check to see if they have battery back-ups.
- Maintain a separate list of emergency numbers for the police, fire department and ambulance services, just in case 911 systems are temporarily out of service.
- Be sure to have one phone available that does not rely on electric power. While regular phone service can operate without electricity, cordless phones may not. If you have a wireless phone, have extra batteries on hand.
- Make sure you have a battery-operated radio or television to keep current on local efforts to solve any Y2K problems.
- Become involved and become an advocate in your neighborhood and community. Knowing what is being done locally to address and fix potential Y2K problems will help ease concerns and give you a good idea of what to expect as the millennium approaches.
Federal Government's Community Guide to Y2K