Picture this: the clock strikes midnight New Year’s Eve.

Wednesday, December 08, 1999

Picture this: the clock strikes midnight New Year’s Eve.

A century ends and a new one begins and with it the next millennium.

The numbers are significant: 1…9…9…9 rotates to 2…0…0…0.

Then what?

Computers fail? Everything dependent upon high technology grounds to a halt? Chaos? Anarchy?

Who ya’ gonna call? Millennium-busters?

If – and that is an important little word – anything happens as the new millennium is ushered into being, it might be necessary to have a backup plan to keep traffic flowing on the information highway.

Government, private industry, business and homes have prepared for this contingency by ensuring their computer systems are Y2K compatible.

However, emergency services agencies aren’t taking anything for granted. On Tuesday, Dan Wilson, Austin’s fire chief, held a meeting of representatives from the Austin Police Department, Mower County Sheriff’s Department, Gold Cross Ambulance Service, U S West and the Austin Amateur Radio Club. Ted Gilbertson assisted the fire chief in moderating the discussion.

A similar meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday when Mower County Sheriff Barry J. Simonson will meet with fire departments and other emergency services agencies in Mower County to prepare their own contingency plan for New Year’s Eve.

Tuesday’s meeting at the Austin Municipal Building focused on the city’s own needs to prepare for a possible communications breakdown when the century ends in 23 days.

Larry Eikmeier, an area manager for U S West, spoke first.

"People in the industry have been working for two years to ensure that telephone communications continues when the new year begins," Eikmeier said. Tests and more tests were taken and the telephone systems "worked fine."