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Show DAVIS COUNTY 4 gas lax hike? UP L V, we need a D Call N January 7, 1997 Fifty Y f I rw f 295-22- 5 17e.xt. 141 for Yes and ext. 142 for , Cents Serving Davis Col nty No. V()IL Ml 105 Nl MHtR 06 Staggering fire loss fuels firefighter debate Paul Challis News Editor BOUNTIFUL In 1996 Boun- tiful's per capita fire loss has been estimated at nearly $45 more or three times higher than 1995 due to three large home fires. The city council is now debating whether to hire two or six additional firefighters. Bountiful's per capita fire loss during the last 10 years has varied from a low of $2.72 in 1991 to a high of $12.65 in 1995. At the present time the fire n shifts department has five with three at headquarters and two 2. Firefighters work a at Station work week, with straight time paid for the first 53 hours and overtime paid for all hours over 53, which is consistent with the Fair Labor Standards Act. two-ma- 56-ho- Fleadquarters station has two e firelighters assigned Monday through Friday, with weekends e firebeing covered by fighters who sign up for the shifts. Monday through Friday, the officers assigned to Station 2 report to headquarters from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. full-tim- part-tim- During the time, they perform fire protection training, vehicle maintenance, hose maintenance, and other station activities. n Any absences from the crews due to leave (sick, vacation, holiday, bereavement, etc.) or specialized training, professional meetings, etc., are filled, to the extent pose e or sible, by people who are available to fill such shifts. While about 90 percent of the time the department is successful in finding replacements, there are certain days or time-o- f day situations where there are less than four fulltime shift people on duty during the daytime hours, City Manager Tom two-ma- full-tim- part-tim- Hardy said. The chief, deputy chief, and fire marshal are usually in town and available for emergency response, he added. Bountiful has increased the pay for part-tim- e firefighters and upgraded their positions as an e incentive for people to fill e shifts for personnel. e Most people have other jobs where the employer is either unable or unwilling to release the e firefighter on an part-tim- 24-ho- full-tim- part-tim- part-tim- ed" basis to stand-b- y at the station when the station has been emptied due to call, or respond during normal working hours, Hardy added. e All firefighters carry pagers w hich call in personnel for fires, etc., when headquarters station is emptied during the day, or when either station is emptied during the evening. "It is virtually impossible to pre full-an- d part-tim- dict when either fire or medical calls will occur. he said. e The city has budgeted 35 firefighter positions, and has most of them filled most of the time, although natural turnover dictates that it is rare to have all 35 positions filled with individuals who have gone through the entire apprenticeship program and are certified firefighters. part-tim- Hardy: Homeowners can reduce fire loss BOUNTIFUL City officials in Bountiful boast an excellent fire loss history and claim to have an outstanding response time but say there are many factors involved in minimizing damage to structures on fire, which results in a low lire loss ratio. City Manager Tom Hardy recently provided a list of six factors than can affect the amount of loss for any fire. First, is the time between inception of the fire and detection. Many fires in Bountiful are extinguished bv homeowners who quickly detect the fire and suppress it themselves. While most detection is done by visual observation, smoke alarms and heat detection systems also pro-- v ide early w anting of fire. "Well ov er half of the fires originate in either the kitchen or the bedroom, which are high occupancy rooms in the house," Hardy said. Second, is the preparation of the see -- HARDY pg. A2 Our goal is for the city to have n an excellent mix of seasoned or firefighters and new firefighters who have joined the department in recent years." Hardy added. All firefighters, both full and e train Wednesday evening from 7 to 9 p.nt. Training involves both emergency medical responses and fire training. vei-era- part-tim- The issue of fire protection became fueled by three blazes ignited in the foothills area of Bountiful during the last seven months. The last blaze occurred on Nov. 13 causing an estimated $1 million in damage to the house and to the occupants belongings. Fire Station 2. located just three blocks away was unmanned at the time as the two assigned firefighters were transporting a medical patient. Bud and Andrea Powers, who live on Bountiful Boulevard (1650 East I. claim their home would not have been totally engulfed by the llames had firefighters not had to travel from the headquarters station at 65 W. 200 South. The Powers claim it took five moie minutes of the nine minute response time for see LOSS-p- g. A2 PARC ready for new digs CLEARFIELD On Wednesday. Jan. 8, the Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Center (PARC) will celebrate the opening of its new facility, 485 PARC Circle in Clearfield. Ribbon cutting cetemomes begin at 10 a.m. and will include a color guard from Hill Air Force Base. The public is invited to tour the new facility with tours beginning immediately following the ribbon cutting ceremony. PARC employs and trains over 450 people with disabilities annualin the ly and has been a main-stacommunity for over 25 years. y PARCs clientsemployees earn over $2 million a year collectively. This money is put back into the community in taxes paid and commodities and services purchased. Detailed planning of the new $3.5 million facility began over two years ago. Ground breaking was in September, 1995. CDBG money, grants, and private donations were combined with money saved for this proconject to make the struction possible. Donators included Ronald McDonald House Charities, Jon and Karen Huntsman. SPS. Monroe Inc., Interwest Construction, and Union Pacific Foundation. Previously PARC was housed in a school building. The new facility is over 42,000 square feet of production, training, and office space dedicated to improv ing the quality of lives of people with disabilities in Davis County and surrounding areas. PARC's programs include production subcontracting with local businesses. much-neede- Auntie Em, Auntie Em! Construction workers struggle to keep roof tiles from blowing away on an office building under construction on Highway 89, north of Smith's in Farmington on Friday. Strong southerly winds, gusting 35 to 45 mph kept the crew busy chasing loose shingles. Photc by Cathy Linford Mosquitoes taxing problem Melinda Williams square feet and more than double the pesticide storage facility at the site, 85 N. 600 West. It should be large enough to last 50 years, Hatch said. The present buildKAYSVILLE Ridding Davis County of mosing will then be used for vehicle storage. Hatch said the higher tax rate should be in effect quitoes will likely be doubly expensive in 1998. The Davis County Mosquito Abatement District has three years. That year, the district will evaluate the tax and may lower it. By the fourth year, it should be requested a 100 percent increase in taxes from the Davis County Commission. brought down to operational level. We've had some g calls from citizens mainly concerned that the tax Putting it that way jolts taxpayers. In reality, won't be lowered once the mosquito tax the building is finished," means the owner of a Hatch said. Most people $100,000 home will pay are aware of the district's "My office is...fhe lunchroom, $7.26 annually, instead of need for a larger facility the current $3.63. It will give and have no problem with the district $417,000 for the boardroom and the breakroom," the tax hike, as long as each of three years the tax is they are assured the tax proposed. Director, Gary Hatch will be lowered once the But any hike in taxes is a Staff Writer dou-blin- . concern, especially if it appears the tax is permanent. That's not the case with the mosquito abatement tax. It should be lowered to cover only operating expenses in four years. The tax, if approved, will be used to construct a new building for the district and hire a receptionist to work peak seasons. District Director Gary Hatch said. The present building has been used by the district since 1953. It was a feed store before that. The building is just too small. Hatchs office serves as a multipurpose room. My office is my office, the lunchIt also room, the boardroom and the breakroom. doesn't meet requirements under the Americans With Disabilities Act for public buildings and theres not enough room to store pesticides. A new building will expand the office by 2,500 project is completed. (To lower the tax) when the project is finished is our full intention at this time, Hatch said. Before the tax is finalized, it faces one more public hearing in August. Were confident it will come through. Most people seem to support it once they understand it, he said. It will then appear on the 1997 property tax notices in November. Construction should start in September and be finished sometime in the spring or early summer. Hatch said he hopes most of the construction can be accomoff season for the district. plished during the winter The same tax hike was proposed in 1995, but lawon property taxes the makers felt due to district had to hold an election to approve it and the $20,000 needed to hold an election wasn't available. Police follow candy trail to burglars KAYSVILLE d MARY NICKLES Nickles to address chamber BOUNTIFUL Mary Nickof the KUTV les, Channel 2 News, will be the speaker at the membership meeting luncheon of the South Davis Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, January 15, 1997 at 12 noon. Nickles the weekday 2NewsThis Morning from 5:30 - 8 a.m., 2News at Noon and is KUTV's medical reporter. She joined KUTV Channel Two News in 1991 as an anchorreporter, as weeknights on 2News at 5 and 6 p.m. Nickles grew up in Seattle, Washington w ith her eight very active and successful brothers and sisters. Her dad is a retired telephone man. and her late mother was a state legislator and advocate for children. She majored in English at Lewis-Clar- k State College in Lewiston, Idaho, where she attended on a volleyball scholarship. She began her television news career in Yakima, Washington before joining KUTV Channel 2. Nickles has been active in the Utah community as a mentor for young people and as an athlete. She is a member of the Utah Predators, a professional volleyball team. She is on the board of directors for the Children's Service Society, and serves as the spokesperson for KUTV Channel 2's community service program Check Your Health". Nickles and her husband, Kent, live in the Salt Lake Area. The luncheon meeting will be held at Cafe Alicia, 544 West 400 North, West Bountiful, The public is invited to attend. The cost for the lunch is $10 and it is necessary for those who plan to attend to RSVP by calling Faye at the Chamber office. prior to January 13, 1997. or 295-694- The new year didn't prove so happy for four Kaysville juveniles who were caught by police after burglarizing a school on New Year's Day. Kaysville Police Chief Dave Helquist said police were called to Columbia Elementary, 378 S. 50 West, by people who saw some computer equipment outside on the window sills of the school. Upon investigation, police discovered the school had been burglarized. However, they were easily able to track down the kids. Apparently the youngsters had found a candy dish in a teacher's lounge and helped themselves to it, leav ing a trail of wrappers from the school to a nearby neighborhood where they live. Police followed the wrappers to a home where they found the four teens ages They were arrested and taken to Farmington Bay Youth Detention facility. Helquist said he wasnt sure if the kids left the computers outside, planning on coming back for the equipment, or because they were spooked. 15-1- 7. Im melting.... snowman is melting away due to the warm temperatures and southerly winds which made it feel more like spring over the weekend. Temperatures cooled Sunday and a few snow flurries are expected Tuesday in Davis County. However, there likely won't be enough snow to create another snowman. Photo by Cathy Linford This Kaysville POOR COPY j |