Emergency Management Director Says Tulsa Prepped and Ready for Y2K

Local businesses and government agencies wrapped up their Y2K game plan Thursday and say all they can do now is wait. They've spent hundreds of hours studying for a test they hope they won't have

Thursday, December 16th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Local businesses and government agencies wrapped up their Y2K game plan Thursday and say all they can do now is wait. They've spent hundreds of hours studying for a test they hope they won't have to take.

Mike McCool has planned long and hard for one defining moment. Now the Tulsa County Emergency Management director says he's more than ready for the test. â€œEverybody is tired of this,â€ he said. â€œLet's get it over with. "

McCool went over the Y2K plan of attack that emergency workers and area businesses have worked on for thousands of hours. Paul Killian, an agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, thinks dealing with people over-celebrating on New Yearâ€™s Eve will be the only part of the plan that will be used. â€œThere is probably going to be some vandalism, some disorderliness,â€ he said. â€œThat's what we think the major problems will be."

A color scale was used in determining readiness. A green mark on Tulsaâ€™s plan meant everything is O-K. A yellow mark meant officials still aren't sure about the potential problem. McCool expects all green marks, but says the plan will head into high gear if the electricity goes out. Public Service Company of Oklahoma has passed all of their tests and has promised not to put emergency workers and the public to the test. â€œThey have repeatedly told us they are ready,â€ explained McCool.

Southwestern Bell says it is ready, too. But the company is worried too many people will test their phones at 12:01 AM, which could overload the phone system. â€œMirror curiosity can cause a problem in itself, so weâ€™re telling all citizens not to do that,â€ he said.

McCool believes businesses and government workers have wiped out the Y2K bug. He says studying the potential problems will make for an easier night. "I expect us to spend a lot of time waiting, waiting and waiting," he said. The Y2K final exam is only 15 days away.

Emergency workers will use the media to spread information if there are any problems. If your electricity is off, you can still hear KOTV - The News on Six on the radio. Just tune in 87.7 on the FM dial.