CITY DEPARTMENTS READY TO PAY Y2K OVERTIME.Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer In anticipation of potential Y2K problems, the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Fire Commission on Tuesday authorized spending up to $230,000 in overtime to bring in extra firefighters. ``I don't think anything will happen, but we have to be prepared,'' Fire Commission President David Fleming
David Fleming said. Fire Chief Bill Bamattre said the agency is aiming to have an additional 177 firefighters on duty on New Years Eve in the event problems develop as part of the millennium bug millennium bug: see Year 2000 problem. See Y2K Problem. millennium bug - Year 2000 that could infect computers. So far, Bamattre said, there have been 126 volunteers for duty and he is holding off on ordering people to fill the other vacancies. Union leaders had protested the power of Bamattre to order firefighters to work, but the City Attorney's Office determined it is an unusual event and he has the power to force them to report to duty. The overtime costs for the LAFD LAFD Los Angeles Fire Department LAFD Los Alamos Fire Department LAFD London Association of Funeral Directors (UK) are only part of the expenses the city is facing in anticipation of Y2K See Y2K problem and Y2K compliant. Y2K - Year 2000 . The Los Angeles Police Department "LAPD" and "L.A.P.D." redirect here. For other uses, see LAPD (disambiguation).  This article or section is written like an . has a special Y2K overtime budget
of $800,000, to fill 18,000 hours of patrol costs, officials said.
That will include staffing of the Emergency Operations Center The Emergency Operations Center, or EOC, is a central command and control facility responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency preparedness and emergency management, or disaster management functions at a strategic level in an emergency situation, and ensuring , which will open on Dec. 31 to track computer problems across the globe and prepare for any problems in the city. Several other city agencies also will be using overtime to pay for workers to monitor operations throughout the city. Chief among these is the city's Information Technology Agency in charge of all city computers. Also involved is the city's General Services Department along with Airport, Harbor and Water and Power officials. ``There is not really any one number out there for overtime costs,'' said Deputy Mayor Jennifer Roth, who oversees the budget for Mayor Richard Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, U.S. who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003–2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993–2001. Riordan ran for Governor of California unsuccessfully in 2002. . ``The money is in each department and people will be out there doing what is necessary,'' Roth said. ``If the overtime costs run higher than expected, we'll make mid-year adjustments.'' Roth said the mayor issued an executive order earlier this year telling all city department heads they must remain in the city over the New Years holiday. Frank Martinez, who is overseeing the city's Y2K preparedness, said officials believe the overtime costs should be limited. ``We're optimistic and we hope that departments will be able to let people go early once we see there isn't a problem.'' |
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