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Show Lakeside Review South, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 1983 Emergency Help Woods Cross Own Emergency Team CAROLE COLE Review Correspondent WOODS CROSS If. you see someone in a bright orange jumpsuit, with a nametag on the front pocket, a patch on the sleeve, and the word Police in ' big letters across the back, you can be sure youre looking at one of Woods Cross Citys Emergency Services team. This unique organization is not very old, but it has come into its own being of service to the city and promises to grow more helpful as time goes on. The brainchild of City Councilman Terrell F. Bird, the Emergency Services group was formed when Bird discovered that very little planning had been done for direct help to citizens in the event of major disasters. While national and state Civil d defense groups have for the handling' larger plans' problems of evacuation, highway What happens in the event of people? he asked. Well, the police take care of . Well, we dont know. Even after a visit to Arizonas to help? . t""7 ffP , d, ' . . -- t well-kno- j crowd-contr- - ol fied. . j,iip"ifr1 Occasionally an emergency? exercise is held in which the volunteers are mobilized, but which they do not know is only an exercise. Such exercises reveal weaknesses In the system and allow the Emergency Services team to spot possible problems before an actual emergency. The orange jumpsuits were purchased in response to one problem that cropped up rather early in the groups existence--tha- t of identification. No volunteer can be effective unless his authority to direct traffic, evacuate neighborhoods; or mobilize help is recognized. The members of the group also wear white dress shirts with nametags and sleeve patches, along with dark skirt of trousers, for dressier occasions. Each volunteer purchases. his own white uniform shirt, an indication of his commitment, Bird feels. The Emergency Services team coordinates with the' state and mssomKssm o Farnyngton, and the state emergency operating center, in Salt Lake. ' radios can reach any of the states emergen-- ( cy services channels. The team averaged some 85 hours per day for five days straight during the height of the emergency. Since the flood, the city has purchased an additional radio with more frequencies available. West Bountiful, Centerville, and Woods Cross all share the same channel, so during the frantic hours of the flooding and mudslides, it was extremely difficult for all' three cities to make use of that one channel. Bird states that one of the teaips main functions is to educate the public and encourage them to prepare for emergencies, to prepare a emergency kit. The team has manned a booth at the Davis County Fair for the past two years at which they distribute literature and in- structions' on assembling the Thfe hand-hel- d 72-ho- ur emergency kit. The team meets monthly for a training seminar. Much of the teams training involves medical preparedness. Woods Cross sends one member of the emergency services team each quarter Eileen Knighton, assistant director, and Mike Vandersteen, driver, . EMT--emergen- kets, respirators, first aid his budget allows and as time goes on. The walls are lined with maps pinpointing the citys water valves and wells, street lighting and circuitry, and high pressure fuel lines. supplies--a- s r INSURANCE I I I I Call us today for a free I I I I personal rate quotation 773-059- 5 2649 N. Main Siinset 1 1 I I I I INSURANCE COMPANY Jf figSBSl SR0RISWEAR The brand that fits Introduces The Newest, Most Carefree Fabric Mens Jeans! In Ultra Cord Ultra Cord' combines the comfort of pure cotton with easy-car- e polyester to give you long wearing jeans combined with the famous Lee fit. 'Ultra Cord resists wrinkling, retains its shape, smoothness and plush appearance. Trim-ftailoring with boot-clegs in 5 great colors for fall, sizes 28 to 36 waist. , ut it LET'S TAKE A - The teams headquarters is a small room in the basement of the city hall. Bird is gradually accumulating medical and other blanemergency supplies-co- ts, training, he or she shares that training with other members of the group at a monthly seminar. Bird and members of the team have been called upon frequently to talk to other cities and organizations interested in becoming better prepared for emergencies. To Birds knowledge, the Emergency Services team in Woods Cross is the only group sponsored by a city and organized for IN Surplus Sale Oct- 5 and 6 use by the citys citizens in the state of Utah. medi.to take cal training classes. As each member completes the ter was set up at the Woods Cross City Hall. Copimunication was maintained with the citys fire department, the county emergency operating center in Holds K 1'Tc Brent Argyle give the of ambulance to (from left) Ter- keys rell Bird, director of emergency service, DAVIS FIRE Chief federal emergency agencies. During recent flooding, the team was mobilized and a command cen- Hill AFB -J-- . Each volunteer has an emergency handbook that contains a list that the volunteers are required 'to keep up to date, of the doctors, nurses, people with special equipment, and qualified equipment operators who live within their zone. Another sheet lists families who require prioriwho are bedty assistance-tho- se ridden, in wheelchairs, on respirators, and so forth. Communication is maintained between each individual volunteer and with the city as well as the search and rescue units. Each volunteer has been deputized so that he or she can work with police officers. The volunteers have been much in' evidence at football games. The Crowd seems to be much more cooperative when 8 or 10 pumpkin people are in evidence, rather than only two or three police officers. Because the volunteers are members of their respective neighborhoods, youth willing to work with the volunteers in alerting them to possible trouble spots. The volunteers, Bird emphasizes, are in no way usurping the authority or the jobs done by the citys police force. They are only an adjunct to them, and perform the more menial, types of jobs that free an officer to perform the duty for which he is more highly trained and quali-- " broad-base- well-traine- $ generator also power take-of- f backs up the city's gasoline pumps so that emergency vehicles can be pressed into service even if the pumps cannot be operated electrically: Now each volunteer is trained to set up a zone command post out of his own vehicle and is radio equipped, with a hand-hel- d and a flashing red light to sit on top of his car, and magnetic placards that attach to his vehicle identifying it as a Woods Cross Emergency Services command post. Team members have flares, medical supplies, and maps of evacuation routes. Each volunteer has been given the authority, in emergency situations, to mobilize and deputize others things, and after things calm down a bit, the Federal Emergency Management Administration moves in and arranges for loans and other help." Thats fine, but who helps the people? We have six or seven police officers in Woods Cross. How could they possibly handle the entire town of 5,000 people? ' What would we do? state civil defense office, Bird had still not found anything that could be called helpful information for working directly with neighborhoods and their residents. Recognizing that nearly every city, particularly in Davis County, just doesnt have the budget to hire enough police and firemen to handle its own citi- traffic, shelters, etc., Bird discovzens in an emergency situation, ered that very little information Bird determined that a dedicated was available for cities to orgagroup of volunteers was needed. nize hep for the citizen directly. He broke the city down into About seven years ago he was nine major zones, based on popapproached by a friend who was on the city council and asked to ulation. He figured that if he incould have one becorne involved as the citys and volunteer formed, equipped civil defense director. After the stationed in each of those nine city swore him in, he spent the zones, highly visible and availnext couple of years going from able to the zones citizens, no agency to agency trying to find one in the neighborhood need go out what he was supposed to be any, farther to get the help that ' doing. may be needed in an emergency He started first with the counsituation. ty. The county said, Heres our He knocked on doors and have this shelter program--w- e called people on the telephone. and these supplies and this radio He explained' the situation and system,r began recruiting volunteers.' In But what do you have for the the meantime, Bird was elected cities, Bird asked. to the. city council and saw. to a budget for the emergency Well, we dont have anything services team was established. for the cities, was the reply. , His first priority was to purHe next visited the state civil chase a radio system. Using defense, office. What have you got for the cities in the way of matching federal funds, the city civil defense plans and help? he purchased such a system. For the first time the city could asked. : tact its police officers without literaa of Oh, weve got lot first through a dispatch ture, was the reply. And while centergoing in Farmington. the literature was good and covIn the event of a power outage, ered a lot of helpful information, he still had no direction oh help: a backup generator is available that will power the radio system. ing the people. ,j - A major problems. Who helps the . o- , rtf4 nj 7A ' 5 GREAT COLORS! 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