Y2K: Facing the Year 2000
Is Your PSAP Prepared
for the Century Mark?
A 9-1-1 Magazine Special Report
by Randall D. Larson
| Sidebar: Are Your PSAP Vendors Y2K Compliant? Additional Internet Y2K Resources |
| Photographs: (select thumbnail to view detail image) |
 The Columbus, Ohio, Fire Communications Center. Although computer date calculation may cause the Y2K problem, the effects can reach into other aspects of a PSAP, including reports, records management, security. If the Year 2000 issue is not addressed, any computer calculation that involves a date could yield incorrect answers and potential system shut-downs. Ken Kerr |
 The New York City E9-1-1 Center. With many computers using only 2-digits to identify years in computer programs, when the calendar rolls over to 2000, many computers will see the new century as simply 00 - the assumption being 1900, a smaller number than the day before, causing a multitude of potential crashes if precautions aren't made. |
This article can be found on
page 42 of the May/June 1998
issue of 9-1-1 Magazine.
The Year 2000 is a little less than two years away, and solutions to the dreaded "Millennium Bug" remain intermittent and inconsistent.
Yet the warnings about Year 2000 (Y2K in current vernacular) continue
to proliferate. PSAP Managers who aren't worried may wish to check their
systems closely, especially in view of the eclectic mix of hardware and
software that makes up most PSAPs. One Y2K-compliant system may not hold
up if subservient or networked systems are susceptible to the Millennium
Bug.
The Problem
The year 2000 is the first year in the computer age in which all four digits of the year change. The problem results from the use of only 2-digits to identify years in computer programs (i.e., to your desktop PC or MAC, the current year is 98). Without the century digits to denote 1998, after December 31st, 1999 many computers will see January 1st, 2000 as simply 00 - a smaller number than the day before. To the computer's microprocessor, time will appear to have reversed. "This Does Not Compute" becomes a literal reality.
Computers also calculate the day-of-week formula based on the same scheme. January 1st, 2000, is a Saturday, but computers will recognize January 1, 1900 as a Monday. This assumption of a single century is bound to create havoc when 2000 rolls around the corner. Any program that uses dates in its programming is likely to fail or malfunction if errors are not corrected.
"It's important to understand that even though a computer calculation may cause the problem, the effects can reach into other aspects of a business," said Laura Littel-Zdon, Land Mobile Product Sector, Motorola. "If the Year 2000 issue is not addressed, any computer calculation that involves a date could yield incorrect answers."
According to the Gartner Group, a research and analysis consultant for Information Technology industry, 90% of applications will be affected and systems will crash if the century problem is not corrected before 1999.
The problems won't only affect the obvious places like the telephone systems, customer premise equipment, or radio systems, according to Steve Meer, Chief Technology Officer for SCC Communications. "Public safety needs to look in non-traditional places for systems that could be impacted by a date/time change," said Meer. "Look at energy management systems or security door systems. These non-traditional systems could be paralyzed if the embedded controllers are date driven."
"The date and time inconsistency could create legal issues in the case of a law suit," said Martha Hill Director, Marketing & Sales Public Safety Criminal Justice, Synergetic Systems. "In the case of records or jail management systems, release date or sentencing problems are being created even today."
"PSAPs should be very concerned that their 9-1-1 controller equipment is in compliance with industry standards for Year 2000," said John K. Fuller, Vice President Of Marketing for Plant Equipment, Inc. "Whether the equipment is central office based, a PBX switch, or standard customer premises equipment, it is essential for mission-critical public safety equipment to be prepared for Y2K."
"The year 2000 problem is more prevalent on the mainframe, the mini and Unix environments than on the PC," said Ken Reeves, Marketing Executive, Justice & Public Safety Sector, Microsoft. "It is for this reason we advocate organizations take an end-to-end approach to this problem. The Year 2000 problem is not a single manufacturer, vendor, or user issue."
"Where 9-1-1 centers are likely to encounter problems is in interfacing with agencies who maintain NCIC, DMV, medical and insurance records," said Orbacom President Robert Conroy. "If the agencies involved do not take action in a timely manner, overlook some obscure portion of their records system, or do not develop a standardized, coordinated Y2K solution there are likely to be problems ranging from incorrect ages and dates to complete system crashes and database corruptions."
The problem is evident, and potentially far-reaching. The night of December
31, 1999, may well be a volatile one for PSAPs around the world. "Not
only do Centers have to deal with the typical increased call volume on New
Year's Eve but also on the lingering question of what will happen to the
CAD system when the bell strikes midnight," said Mike Poth, Director
of Customer Service for PRC. "Every agency shold go through a systematic
review of all systems applications, obtaining written certification from
the various hardware and software providers on each of their products."
Solutions and Precautions
"As agencies become increasingly dependent on technology to efficiently provide public safety services," Poth continued, "the need for alternative emergency procedures that are practiced and rehearsed is even more critical Throughout the country, jurisdictions practice activation of the Emergency Operations Centers to insure they are prepared for disasters, natural and man-made. What many don't practice or even plan for is losing their computer systems for an extended period."
"Solutions for the year 2000 issue will vary with each organization.," said Microsoft's Ken Reeves. "Our strategy revolves around the concept of Modified Rapid Replacement Strategy - the idea that it is not necessary to get a 1:1 feature/function replacement ratio when replacing a system for the year 2000. If you recognize that an application will either be replaced or retired due to time and resource restrictions, the first step that needs to be taken is an understanding of the business process that drives that application. If the application provides 24 great features, but only six of them are critical to its functionality, replace those six and move on to the next part of the overall project. There is no more time left for elegant solutions. In the context of the year 2000, the only thing that matters is `Did you get done on time?'"
"Many Communications Centers evolved from the manual "card" system to computerized dispatch systems," said PRC's Mike Poth. "The explosion in hiring new public safety dispatchers results in many being trained only in an automated environment, never using a manual system. Are they prepared, if their system fails and is `down' for days, to adapt to a manual system without compromising the safety of the officers and public safety workers in the field? Year 2000 or not, every agency needs to be prepared for this contingency or not. We encourage all communications centers to remember that CAD is Computer Aided Dispatch and that dispatching must continue even if the computer does not."
Additional Internet http://www.year2000.com Most vendor's are showing their Year 2000 compliant products on their web sites. Check them out for details about your products. Here are a few of them: http://www.cmltech.com (CML Technologies) |
