ARMED GUARDS PART OF Y2K PREPARATION.

Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer

If Y2K computer glitches disrupt power or telecommunications, Los Angeles County officials said Monday they would dispatch armed guards in armored vehicles to hand out general relief and food stamp vouchers to the homeless during the first 10 days of the new year.

``It's a precaution,'' said Sandra Davis, chief deputy in the county Chief Administrative Office.

The county supervisors are expected to vote today on whether to spend $112,560 to reserve seven armored vehicles with armed guards in the event Y2K anomalies prevent the normal distribution of general relief benefits to the homeless.

``They are not your normal armored vehicle,'' said John Martinelli, chief of property management and fiscal services for the county Department of Public Social Services. ``These are secured vehicles with exterior teller windows from which we can issue the checks.''

If it becomes necessary to deploy the armored vehicles and guards, the vehicles will be stationed at six selected social services district offices that provide benefits to 7,000 to 8,000 homeless people, said Lynn W. Bayer, department director.

One of those six offices is the Glendale office at 225 E. Broadway, which services about 1,000 homeless people.

If needed, social services staff will distribute general relief checks and emergency food stamp vouchers from the armored vehicles to eligible participants with proper identification. Normally, the homeless use electronic cards at 114 offices countywide to pick up their benefits.

In the event of Y2K computer system failures, the department has contingency plans to mail welfare benefits to the county's 500,000 welfare recipients who have addresses. The homeless do not have addresses where they can receive checks and food stamp vouchers.

Martinelli said the department has spent a year ensuring its computer systems are Y2K compliant.

``While we are confident that these systems are ready for the date change, there are other factors such as power and communications that could impact our ability to issue benefits to participants,'' Bayer said.

If benefits cannot be mailed, cash, food stamps and Medi-Cal benefits can be handed out at the district offices. The U.S. Postal Service has been notified of the plan and the importance of ensuring the 500,000 benefit letters are mailed Jan. 1 or soon afterward.

The county's safety police have been notified of the plan and arrangements have been made for additional security at district offices.