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November 10, 1999
Web posted at: 3:32 p.m. EST (2032 GMT)

In this story: Remember your police department's real number Are you Y2K ready? Some schools and doctors' offices not prepared Most U.S. trading partners are ready Cyber-terrorists may stay offline RELATED STORIES, SITES

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With just 51 days left to the new year, President Clinton said on Wednesday that a new report shows no critical systems will go haywire on New Year's Day because of Y2K computer problems.

"The report shows that our hard work in this country is paying off. And while there is more to do, I expect we will experience no major national breakdowns as a result of the year 2000 date change," the president said at a White House news conference.

AUDIO Koshinen gives CNN a brief analysis on how ready the U.S. is for Y2K 182 K/17 sec. AIFF or WAV sound 358 K/32 sec. AIFF or WAV sound 501 K/46 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Clinton expressed no major Y2K problems during a press conference 518 K/45 sec. AIFF or WAV sound 541 K/50 sec. AIFF or WAV sound     MESSAGE BOARD Year 2000 bug

Clinton said he's confident that government programs such as air traffic control and Social Security will work "exactly as they should."

But John Koskinen, the chairman of the President's Council on the Year 2000 Conversion, warned that some 911 systems, local governments and small businesses still haven't got the Y2K bug out. He said all Americans need to have contingency plans.

Among the biggest problem areas for Y2K readiness are 911 emergency call centers. Surveys of more than 2,700 centers found that only about half were Y2K compliant as of October 1.

Koskinen said the 911 computer problem probably wouldn't prevent police or fire departments from taking calls -- but it could force employees to use manual dispatch systems, meaning it will take longer for rescue workers to respond.

He said many of the 911 centers expect to have their systems ready before the start of the new year, but they need to work quickly.

"There's no time to waste," he said. "This has got to be the highest priority of those systems still trying to conclude their work."

Koskinen recommended that everyone learn the actual number for police, fire, hospital and other emergency services in case the 911 number fails to quickly connect.

Click here to see a larger image of the booklet that you will get by calling the Y2K toll free number

Even systems that appear to be Y2K ready may have some problems.

"We continue to stress that it is inevitable that there are going to be glitches in some of those systems, even though they have been tested and appear to be operating effectively," Koskinen said.

He said that's why government, businesses and individuals are urged to come up with contingency plans.

"Everybody ought to have a contingency plan. Everybody ought to understand that there are no 100 percent guarantees in Y2K," Koskinen said.

Koskinen said it's important not to wait until the last minute.

"Individuals and families need to take steps, and can take steps, to make sure that they're ready for whatever disruptions may occur as we move into the first week of January, 2000."

Last week, the federal government produced a brochure called "Y2K and You," which includes a Y2K preparedness checklist for individuals and families. It includes the following tips:

• Make sure you have at least enough food and water to get through the three-day New Year's weekend.
• Refill prescription drugs when you have less than a week's supply.
• Keep all financial records and transactions between now and the end of the year and for the first couple of months of 2000.
• Don't make unnecessary phone calls over the holiday weekend to leave lines open for emergency calls.

The brochure is available at http://www.y2K.gov, or phone 1-888-USA-4Y2K.

While encouraging Americans to plan for possible Y2K problems, experts have repeatedly warned against stockpiling supplies, saying a run on food, gasoline, prescriptions and even cash might cause more problems than the threat of Y2K failures.

Essential Guide What will work Airline Medical Banking Energy Telecom Water & sewer Computers Government Road/rail signals Postal services Public transport Y2K & the World Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East Primer Key Dates The Bug and You Basic FAQ Checklist Agency Report Card Stories Profiting from Y2K Loving Y2K Also see Video Discussion Links

Many schools could be left in the dark and without heat or fire alarms because of Y2K-related equipment problems. Even student records could be affected.

"A third of the schools are still working to get those systems done," Koskinen said.

Doctor's offices and other small health-care facilities also face problems.

"We think the adequacy of health care will be fine. You'll get good treatment wherever you go," Koskinen said. But he said many of those facilities have not updated their patient control and reimbursement systems.

Many small businesses are just waiting to see what will happen.

An April 1999 survey by the National Federation of Independent Business found 28 percent of small companies considered vulnerable to the Y2K bug did not plan to do anything to head problems off. Instead, they plan to tackle them after they occur, an approach that U.S. officials said could put companies out of business.

The White House study said the largest U.S. trading partners, Canada and Mexico, will be Y2K ready, and so will most developed countries with which the United States conducts the bulk of its trade.

But the president said there are some countries that still are lagging in Y2K readiness.

"While most of our large trading partners are in good shape, we still have concerns about the Y2K preparations of some developing nations," he said. "The State Department will continue to update its country by country assessments and advisories as new information becomes available."

Four of the five countries the U.S. most relies upon for oil imports predicted no problems with their drilling, refining and delivery systems. Those were Venezuela, Mexico, Canada and Saudi Arabia. Less information was available for Nigeria.

The study reassures Americans that the new year won't be heralded with misfired nuclear missiles.

"Y2K problems will not cause nuclear weapons to launch themselves," the White House report promised. "Nuclear weapons launch requires human intervention."

Koskinen said that because all transactions made using computers will be heavily scrutinized January 1, it's doubtful terrorists groups would try to act that weekend.

"The terrorists and those who really want to be undetected are probably not going to necessarily show up in greater number that weekend," he said.

But he said hackers who want to be seen may attack, "because everybody will be watching and they can get their message out."

The Y2K problem exists because many older computers and software programs recognize only the last two digits of the year and could mistakenly interpret "00" as 1900.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.