As the year 2000 approaches, fire departments are faced with many questions: Will in-house computer glitches affect physical plant functions (heating, lighting, security), communications, record keeping, and payroll? Will external computer glitches affect the performance of fire alarm systems and the delivery of water, electricity, phone service, and natural gas? Will power outages affect response times, workload, and the ability of personnel to travel to work? Will terrorists seize the opportun