denverpost.com
City to tackle Y2K when time comes
**Locating and either repairing or replacing all embedded chips in all city equipment would be impossibly time-consuming and expensive, officials say.**
By Susan Greene
Denver Post Staff Writer
Dec. 13 - Let it break, then fix it.
That's part of Denver's strategy as the city prepares itself over the coming year for the so-called
"Y2K'' computer problem.
Officials say there's no way Denver can reprogram every computer chip in every piece of city
equipment before midnight on Dec. 31, 1999. So they're concentrating on repairing things
deemed critical to public safety - and rolling the dice on the rest.
Items expected to be inoculated against problems arising come the year 2000, or Y2K, are traffic
lights, police cars and security systems at Denver jails.
Those that could be left alone include sprinklers, air conditioners and elevators in city buildings,
intercoms and hot water systems, modems, fax machines, copiers and maybe even phones. It's
possible, city officials say, that lighting in parks could be crippled. Sewer lines may go
unmonitored. Recycling trucks and street sweepers may not be able to make their neighborhood
rounds.
"We'll oftentimes just wait until the clock rolls over to see if things work or don't work,'' said
Dave Bufalo, Denver's Y2K director. "I don't think the world's going to come to an end. But I
can't say exactly what will happen, either.''
The problem, in short, centers on computers, software and chips expected to go awry because
they recognize dates only in two-digit formats. When computers' internal clocks change to Jan. 1,
2000, many will "believe'' it's actually 1900. Unless they're reprogrammed, they could shut down
or go haywire.
Crews and consultants began working on software for the city's 6,000 computers in 1996. In
February, they shifted much of their focus to "embedded chips'' - tiny devices that regulate the
functions of the product they're in, making sure that cellular phones ring and elevators stop
running if they're due for repair. ............(more.......) |
