OCR Text |
Show IB THE GREEN SHEET Anti-accide- nt Training Program Thursday, January 17, 1985 - Defensive Driving Is Vital For Police Officers, Too by Lance Gurwell WEST VALLEY. The sirens wail- ed and the pungent odor of hot rub- - ber filled the air as the squad car raced to the scene of a gang fight. Reaching the scene, an amplified voice split the air: Thats 72 seconds with three cones. But what about the gang fight? and what about the cones? Did he stop off at Baskin Robbins along the way? The fight was imaginary, a message dispatched to the officer in a West Valley City police car as he set off on a difficult run down an obstacle course on the ZCMI warehouse parking lot at 2200 So. 900 West. And the cones were of the orange traffic variety, which marked the course. Defensive driving is what its all about said Sgt. Kurt Imig, field training officer for the West Valley Police Department. Imig said that despite the danger faced from armed lawbreakers, automobile accidents account for far more injuries and deaths than any d other incident. And that, he said, is the reason the department held its comprehensive defensive driving course. The course consists of an eight-hou- r session of classroom instruction and driving exercises. All city officers who drive in the course of their duty, be they social service workers, detectives, animal control officers, or patrolmen, have now completed the program. The final phase of three, eight- duty-relate- ? "We want our officers to be i-- ' t Maneuvering a tight turn, a West Valley City police officer make his way through difficult driying course, closely monitored WATCHFUL EYE . . , totally familiar with their vehicles." Sgt. Kurt Imig a colleague. ' Program is aimed at providing greater safety for officers while manipulating by vehicles on duty. hour training segments was concluded as participants wheeled their vehicles through two sets of S" curves; a funnel" that narrowed the roadway, forcing the driver to But a reporter who was given an opportunity to cruise the course found out otherwise. Cockily, he slid behind the wheel and sped off toward the first set of cones. None Despite the danger faced from armed lawbreakers, automobile accidents account for far more injuries and deaths d than any other incident. duty-relate- swerve from what might be a pothole or debris in the roadway; a backing exercise and an accident simulator. We want our officers to be totally familiar with their vehicles, said Iihig as he sipped coffee and barked radio. orders into a hand-hel- d Two dozen patrol cars squealed up and down the lot, locking brakes and sliding to screaming stops at the final exercise on the course, the accident simulator. In police parlance, a Code 3 means an officer is responding to a call at high speed with lights flashing and sirens wailing. Its something officers dont do often enough to maintain a high degree of skill. Imig said its hoped the defensive driving course will help. We want our officers to become completely familiar with their cars so theyll know if they can make it between two cars or around a car when theyre involved in a highspeed pursuit, said the former Los Angeles Police Department officer. We want our officers to be relaxed, to be able to move that car fluidly, confidently and with skill, he added. The course looked deceptively simple: drive around a few cones, back up, go forward, slide to a stop. were knocked over. Same thing in the second set, another S turn. The funnel was even easier and the backing exercise, no problem. But the accident simulator proved to be his nemesis. Approaching a set of three traffic lights, two of which flashed red, he had to steer hard to the left lane which was green. He then had to slam to a stop before passing the final cone, just a few feet from the lights. He entered the simulator in good shape, swerved to the left and went crossways as he mowed down three of the cones - which in a real situation might have been pedestrians, or even three parked vehicles. He climbed out of the car, his hands shaking and was heard to say, but it looks so easy. Obviously, thats not the case, said Imig, who added that the West Valley Police Department is the only unit in the state actively involved in a defensive driving program. Imig said that all 76 of the citys sworn personnel have taken the course. Police Chief David C. Campbell said he hopes the citys effort will pave the way for a defensive driving program. We recognize the need for all officers to have some type of periodic driving instruction to sharpen their skills behind the wheel, he said. state-sponsore- d District Has Community School For Handicapped GRANITE PARK. Classes being held two nights a week at Hartvigsen school mark the first in Utah and possibly the first in the country that a community school program is being offered exclusively for the handicapped citizen. Handicapped citizens need the opportunity to become all that they can be, just like any other citizen, commented Sheral Lee Schowe, coordinator of handicap services in the Community Education Department of Granite School District. Our objective is to give them the chance to achieve the highest in themselves, by focusing on their abilities, rather than their s"v BRAKING ACTION . . . Rosponsivonoss of the vohiclos brakas and the driver are tested here on course near 2100 South and 900 East. ' ", - West Valley City police officers complete the course with an eye toward improving their driving abilities under adverse conditions. FAMILY STORES YOUR SAVINGS SOURCE nnvc disabilities, she went on. The Hartvigsen facility is located at 350 E. 3605 South, where daytime classes are conducted, as well as the two nighttime sessions for handicapped adults. It is centrally located, Schowe noted, and it is totally accessible. That is very important in that many of the other locations in the district have significant physical barriers to handicapped individuals. The handicapped need classes for themselves, Schowe continued, because they will often feel intimidated in other classes for normal students to the point that the will withdraw and not participate. In these classes, they can ask questions A ? I .fI HUGE SAVINGS IN EVERY DEPARTMENT OF OUR BIG STORES! Fashions For Men, Young Men, Boys, Women Both Misses & Junior Sizes . COME IN NOW... GREAT PRICES HUGE SELECTIONS Beys sixes Style No. 901BFTR 100 Cotton Heavy Denim MATCHING STRAIGHT LEG PANT Sixes 5 pocket ean Style No. 601BFTR 6, $ U CJ)S IL 0 Reg. 15 JSAS $25 nd outfit Croat for ages 3 and Up This Ad Effective Jan. 17th Use Your Roper's Charge Or Your Bankcard LEARN HOW TO: Cope with impossible your personal strengths Plan more efficiently Establish and handle priorities Retrieve important information Gain ''total'' control And much more Develop Kids will lev soft, cuddly CABBASI PATCH KIDStm fantasy pets Complete with, official registration papers, pet cellar, I.D. tag thru Jan. 23rd, 1985 "Dtniece Schofield seems lo be the most organized person on earth. II participants put to use even a small fraction of her advice, their lives will be. if not happier, at least less cluttered and harried." Publishers Weekly Seminar leader, Demece Schofield, is the author of the book entitled. CONFESSIONS OF She is a noted AN ORGANIZED HOUSEWIFE. on home and time management and has appeared throughout the United Slates on radio and television programs. eipert Jan. 31st 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 197 East 7000 So. Whitmore Library Hrma FASHION The nationally famous Charles R. Hobbs Seminar, adapted by Deniece Schofield to the special needs of women in today's world, is again available for your participation. Whether you work in the office or at home, this one-daWomen's Seminar can have a lasting impact on your life. demands js fTfflflfflWTEM Y Seminar Exclusively For y y ;Brf7t PLACEMALL-MURRA- d INSIGHT ON TIME MANAGEMENT Reg. 24 Prewashed tightly-controlle- The Homemaker SHF DENIM JACKET One-Da- and participate completely without concern for the way they are seen by others. We feel that handicapped people need to be with each other and to find out that they can be successful with their peers, she went on. They can be successful and achieve important skills which will help them to become independent. They want to be as independent as possible, and many can achieve it. d curFollowing a riculum, handcapped individuals are challenged to master basic skills which will enable them to move away from more protective environments which restrict the achievement of personal independence. They are measured closely by their teaher and by computer monitoring to see how they are progressing. They are never com-preor measure against others in the program. They are challenged to achieve the best that they can be on an individual basis. When a student has achieved some mastery over the curriculum, it was explained, that student may wish to move into a supervised apartment with other handicapped perons. They are screened according to their ability to live independently. Then, if able, allowed to become more independent. They are monitored by Continued on page 9 ID flasnSTi QBOID 39 Call 278-538- 1 THE CHARLES P.0. Box For Reservations R. HOBBS CORPORATION 21273 Salt loke City, Utah 84121 |