Y2K PLANS IN PLACE.

Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Staff Writer

With the end of the 20th century at hand, last minute preparations were under way Tuesday for Y2K parties while police girded for potential mayhem and public utilities and companies geared up to handle computer glitches.

At odds with doomsday predictions in recent months, banks and grocery stores reported no substantial hoarding. However, a spokeswoman for the Albertson's grocery store chain reported sporadic increases in demand for bottled water.

One local hospital plans to go into disaster mode before the strike of midnight Friday and Los Angeles area law enforcement officials said they are prepared to handle any emergency that might come, either on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.

``Our plan was to be in this position in any case . . . to be prepared for this particular New Year's,'' Pasadena Police Chief Bernard Melekian said at a news conference with other officials Tuesday. ``We are taking this step to secure the Rose Parade route.''

Pasadena officials said they have been in a state of heightened readiness since last Wednesday, based on talks with federal officials.

In some areas of the Southland, residents already have started to stockpile disaster supplies. At some Albertson's stores, customers have begun snapping up bottled water, said Judie Decker, spokeswoman for the 2,400-store chain.

``We haven't seen runs at this point. What we are seeing are sporadic increases in buying for some products,'' Decker said.

Anticipating extra demand for disaster supplies, Decker said the food store chain has increased its stocks of bottled water, batteries, canned goods, disposable diapers and baby food, among other items.

``We're prepared to do business,'' Decker said. ``We're encouraging people to treat this as if it's a long weekend.''

In preparation for the long holiday, banks have stuffed ATMS with extra cash and California Federal Bank, the nation's second largest savings and loan institution, is taking the unusual step of opening 101 branches in California and Nevada on Saturday.

``It's to reassure customers and to provide a convenience for them,'' said Mary Rische, a Cal Fed spokeswoman.

Most of the branches that will be open Jan. 1 are located in residential areas and in shopping centers where people are expected to gather, Rische said. Of Cal Fed's 336 California branches, 94 will be open. The bank also will open seven of the 16 branches it operates in Nevada.

Despite Cal Fed's plans, state banking industry officials said there have been no runs on financial institutions this December.

``There's no sign whatsoever of panic withdrawing,'' said Leland Chan, associate general counsel for the California Bankers Association, a nonprofit legislative and regulatory affairs organization that represents over 300 banks in the Golden State.

``We were pleasantly surprised,'' Chan said. ``We were afraid the fear-mongers would sway public attitudes, but they haven't won the day.''

In fact, anticipating how the public will react as the world enters the new millennium may be the biggest issue facing Y2K experts, government officials and business leaders.

``Y2K is becoming a media outreach issue not a technology issue,'' said Jon Fullinwider, chief information officer and Y2K project manager for Los Angeles County.

Fullinwider said he wants the public to be prepared for any possible interruptions to power, water or telephone services, but without panicking. ``Otherwise, we'll have a Y2K problem because we mismanaged information,'' said Fullinwider, who said the county has spent about $155 million since February 1997 updating, repairing and purchasing equipment for compliance with the year 2000.

Frank Martinez, director of Los Angeles City's Y2K project, encouraged residents to remain calm and refrain from picking up telephones, switching on all lights and dialing 911 as the clock marches past midnight on New Year's Eve.

``Everything we have is a balancing act,'' Martinez said. ``If everybody behaves normally, we'll look back next week and say, What was all the fuss about.''

At the Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Centers, officials aren't leaving anything to chance. Every department manager is required to report on New Year's Eve to the two-hospital campus where command posts will be erected.

``We're going into disaster alert mode,'' said Ron Yukelson, spokesman for the Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Centers. ``We're treating this a potential natural or municipal disaster.''

Although Yukelson expressed confidence in the health care facility's ability to handle any Y2K glitches, he said it has stocked up on manual call bells for patients, flashlights, emergency generators and extension cords, in case there should be a major power outage.

``We believe this will be much ado about nothing,'' Yukelson said. ``We have every confidence that all systems will be working, but because of potential catastrophic problems that may be Y2K-related, we have to be on alert.''

The health care facility isn't the only one taking extra precautions. The American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles plans to deploy disaster action teams in Van Nuys, Santa Clarita, Inglewood and at the organization's Wilshire Boulevard headquarters. The six-member teams are staffed by a nurse, mental health worker, public relations official and telecommunications member, among others. Their primary responsibility is to provide food, clothing, shelter and other immediate relief to disaster victims.

``We're not expecting anything or predicting any disruption; however, we need to be prepared and one of the things we need is mobilizing people around,'' said B.V. Castillos, a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles.

In addition to the disaster action teams, the organization will fully staff its emergency operations center for 24 hours, starting at 8:30 a.m. New Year's Eve. The center normally doesn't open, except for major disasters. The Red Cross also will have food trucks on standby at service centers in the Valley, Santa Clarita and Inglewood.

Arco is implementing a six-hour moratorium on loading and unloading eight tankers that will be located 50 miles offshore between Valdez, Alaska, and Cherry Point, Wash., on New Year's Eve.

``We won't do loading or unloading. We'll shut down all those operations,'' said Cheryl Burnett, a spokeswoman for Arco Products Inc.

From 8 p.m. on New Year's Eve to 2 a.m. New Year's Day, the company will cease operations on those tankers and begin testing their navigational, communication and technical systems at 2 a.m. Saturday.

``We'll see what the reality is at 2 in the morning on the first,'' Burnett said.

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