City's 'Mission Critical' System Ready for Y2K

The end may be near, and Cambridge officials are not that concerned.

After an extensive two-year long citywide effort in preparation for computer-related glitches that may arise when the year 2000 begins, city leaders say they are prepared to handle any complications that may arise with the much-hyped "Y2K problem."

"As far as we know...all of the city's mission critical electronic systems have been tested and are Y2K-compliant," says George L. Fosque, the city's emergency communications and 911 director.

"We don't expect any problems with our own major internal systems of any sort," Fosque adds.

The city has used inventory, testing, vendor-certification and other techniques to make sure that its "mission-critical" computer applications and computer-driven equipment--which play integral roles in the police, fire and management information systems departments, among others--are Y2K-compliant, according to the city's Web site.

And Emergency Management Director David O'Connor says electric and telephone companies have assured the city that "all systems will work smoothly" as the clock strikes midnight.

"If you can cope with a snowstorm, you can cope with anything Y2K is going to throw up," O'Connor says.

Just in Case

Though they don't expect any major problems from Y2K, city departments have made extensive contigency plans just in case.

"[We think] it will be relatively routine fare, but we're always prepared for the worst," Fosque says.

Cambridge will have two major crisis centers open on the night of Dec. 31.

The 911 Center at the Fire Department headquarters near Canaday Hall will be supplemented by the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), a special gathering of city department heads that usually convenes when natural disasters threaten the city.

Throughout the day, O'Connor will be following events across the world, as countries such as New Zealand pass the critical Y2K threshold first.

And then, at 9 p.m., City Manager Robert W. Healy, Police Commissioner Ronnie Watson and leading officials from Cambridge's water, health, school, emergency management, police and fire departments will gather at the Department of Public Works' conference room at 147 Hampshire St.

"The key departments will all be represented at the Emergency Operations Center," Fosque says.

If major problems occur, those department leaders will spring into action.

"We'll be ready to open shelters...at very short notice," O'Connor says.

And if a power failure does occur, the 911 Center will stay operational using its own generators.

"We're prepared to operate for a week without recourse to electrical power," Fosque says.

Extra staffing is another key component of the city's contigency plans. O'Connor says all city operational departments will have people available on New Year's Eve.

"You'll have twice as many police officers in Cambridge until it's decided that everything is fine," he says.

Maggie Dionne, the deputy director of management for the Cambridge Housing Authority, says staff will be on hand to help the authority's 3,000 tenants if necessary.

"We will have staff on site during the critical times and longer if necessary," she says.

Dionne emphasizes that this measure will probably simply be a source of emotional support for tenants.

"A lot of this is just reassurance," she says.

A Y2K hotline (349-4842) has also been created for Cantabrigians to call if they have Y2K-related questions.

Some Things Never Change

Despite the city's increasing reliance on computers in the information age, some of its systems rely on old-fashioned devices and were never under a Y2K threat to begin with.

For example, Cambridge currently receives its water from Waltham's Quabbin Reservoir through the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). Most of the MWRA's control systems are mechanical, according to Timothy W.D. MacDonald, the city's manager of water operations.

"It's all old, reliable pneumatic and mechanical technology...which I believe is Y2K-compliant," MacDonald quips.

MacDonald says there is "very little likelihood" of a water disruption.

If there is one, the city will be able to draw water from the MWRA's alternate reservoirs as well as a partial day's supply from its own backup source, Payson Park Reservoir in Belmont.

In that case, gravity--and not computer chips--will be all that is necessary to bring the Payson water to Cambridge, O'Connor says.