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Show THE SALT LAKE TIMES FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1976 Page Twelve Rescue Center is Keystone tjdot Applies Utah Hosts International For Rail Foods Travel Group For Coast Guard Operations It's 2:30 a.m. The muffled, droning rumble of the teletype-writer- s in the background never stops. easy part. What is difficult is making the decision on what to do.' The information in the call has to be evaluated and geographical locaThe duty controller slouches in a fixed, if possible. If its a boat leatherette chair, half asleep, tion or ship calling in, how serious is the watching some movie on the television station. He's seen it problem? Is the vessel sinking, or is it just a leak? Is the fire controlsix times before. lable, or will the whole thing go up His assistant sits at the long in flames? What is the nearest console, sifting through the enlisted Coast Guard unit? How long will it billet manual, trying to figure out take to get there? Should the what duty station hell ask his people abandon ship? Is the closest Coast Guard unit involved with detailer for the next time around. another rescue, and if so, which one A radioman, one of three on the most urgent attention? duty, passes through, fingers requires What other agencies can help crooked through the handle of his Harbor pa(Sheriffs departments? fifth cup of coffee, on his way back trols? Other units?) military to the communications center, to a When the information is sketchy never-endin- g job of sending, re- or incomplete, the controller has to ceiving, sorting, copying, and rout- assume the worst. Better to send ing messages to and from the more units than needed, than the different Coast Guard units and other around. way offices around the Pacific basin. A good number of cases are Believe it or not, this is where medical - ships and boats somethe action is; at the 12th Coast times days from the nearest port. Guard Districts Rescue Coordina- They call in from all over the tion Center (RCC). Located in the Pacific with cases ranging froma Federal Appraisers Building on fish hook in a finger to pregnancy Sansome Street, San Francisco, complications or severe electrical this ninth floor office operates 24 shock. These calls are referred to hours-a-daall year. doctors at San Franciscos U.S. The primary roll for the RCC, is Public Health Service Hospital. The the same as for all Coast Guard doctors diagnose, sometimes directing ships personnel to use supplies units: Search and Rescue (SAR). from the ships medical chest. Sometimes though, the patient The controller, a Coast Guard has to be evacuated, either to a Lieutenant, and his assistant, a First Class or Chief Quartermaster, ship with medical personnel on man the phone console, the main board, or by boat or helicopter to tool in modern search coordination. a shore facility. During a medical evacuation the controllers, through Facing them along two walls are Coast Guard Communications Stafour large wall charts, showing the locate the nearest ship with a Bay Area, n Northern California, tions, to evacuate the patient. doctor, the Eastern Pacific, and the whole When helicopter evacuation is more Pacific. Also on the walls are the a message is sent to make feasible, clocks for both local and Greenwich vessel takes the proper sure the time, and a status board with all the District units and the major heading, keeps his speed steady, and makes the proper preparations, Pacific Area units. often bridging a sizeable language Over the phone come the calls for barrier in the process. The RCC in San Francisco has help: From a pay phone at the refrom worried relatives the responsibility for search and beach, porting someone overdue. Other rescue operations in the 12th Coast agencies asking for assistance, from Guard District, which includes Caliother Coast Guard units. fornia from San Luis Obispo County But picking up the phone is the north, and most of Nevada and Utah. In addition, as Pacific Area easy part. What is difficfllt is activities of making the decision on what to do. RCC, it oversee the Guard Disfour Coast the other The information in the call has to be evaluated and the geographical tricts in the Pacific. Both the controller and his aslocation fixed, if possible. If its a boat or ship calling in, how serious sistant must have a good knowis the problem? Is the vessel ledge of the coastline and navigable waters of the district. For localized sinking, or is it just a leak? Is the fire controllable, or will the whole information on coastal and waterdistrict controlthing go up in flames? what is the way features, the the on lers special knowledge rely nearest Coast Guard unit? How of the three group of the controllers will to it take long get there? offices in the district, located in Should the people abandon ship? Is the closest Coast Guard unit in- Eureka, San Francisco, and Montvolved with another rescue, and if erey. Actually, most of the 4,877 cases so, which one requires the most in the district in fiscal year handled attention? What other urgent 1976 handled by the groups or were agencies can help (Sheriffs deunits. However, major individual partments? Harbor patrols? Other controlled cases at the district are military units?) level. The biggest cases and cases The primary roll for the RCC, is involving units from more than one the same as for all Coast Guard district are considered to be Area cases. units: Search and Rescue (SAR). In addition to the normal Coast The controller, a Coast Guard Lieutenant, and his assistant, a Guard training for their specialty First Class or Chief Quartermaster, fields, the controllers and their man the phone console, the main assistants are sent to the National tool in modern search coordination. Search and Rescue School, located Facing them along two walls are at the Coast Guard Base at Goverfour large wall charts, showing the nors Island, New York. This combination of experience Bay Area, Northern California, the Eastern Pacific, and the whole and training led to the two dozen Pacific. Also on the walls are the 12th Coast Guard District SAR clocks for both local and Greenwich units saving 169 lives in rescues time, and a status board with all involving over $60 million in propthe District units and the major erty in fiscal year 1976. Besides the lives saved, 9,875 people were Pacific Area units. assisted rescue units logging a Over the phone come the calls for total of by13,249 hours in 5,878 help: From a pay phone at the seperate SAR sorties. beach, from worried relatives reBehind all this are the duty men porting someone overdue. Other of the RCC: Bored one minute; the agencies asking for assistance, from next, busily setting in motion a other Coast Guard units. detailed, complex, search effort. But picking up the phone is the Hardly your average office job. all-nig- ht y, The Utah Transportation Com- mission has authorized Utah Department of Transportation officials to apply for $100,000 in federal funds under the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act to initiate statewide railroad planning and development a state rail plan. The requested funds would finance the states railroad planning for the next two years and enable UDOT engineers to gether the information they need to develop the STatewide Rail Plan which will be integrated into a total statewide transportation plan for all modes of travel. The development of the Statewide Rail Plan is also a federal requirement that must be met before Utah rialdoads can become under Seceligible for federal-ai- d tion Eight of the Quad-Act, which could provide assistance for the contuation of rail service on uneconomical branch lines. UDOT Engineer for Planning.and Programming Howard Latham said that in the process of preparing the Statewide Rail Plan, UDOT engineers will survey the activities, needs and proglems of railroads in Part of the contingent of International travel agents and writers who recently toured Utah to get a firsthand look at our tourist attractions and travd potential. The tours were hosted by the State and the Four Fornes Regional Tourism Organization, Inc. international travel from 23 foreign and writers agents countries recently toured Utah as trip fol- part of a In-America Discover the lowing ternational Pow Wow held in Salt ' Lake City. The Pow Wow, part of the United States Travel Service pro- gram,, brings travel agents and writers from around the world to become better acquainted with travel possibilities in America. vacation packages are contracted for during the Pow Wow, and its esimated that more in international than travel to the United States was booked during the 1976 meeting. ' The trip through Utah was hosted by the Utah Travel Council and the Four Corn- ers Regional Tourism Organization, n arm of the Inc., Four Comes Regional Commission, The international travelers, in three different groups escorted by representatives of the Utah Travel Council, toured major Utah attrac- tions, including five national parks, Lake Powell, and many national monuments and Utah cities. Lodging, receptions, activities and meals were provided to the group by local resorts, hotels. motels, and chamber of commerce, Seventy-nin- e Utah. With this accomplished, we will be in a much better position to formulate goals and objectives for rail service answer such ques- tions as potential abandonments, lines that may require subsidy or government acquisition, the likli- hood of profitability of new lines, and alternate modes of travel, he said. Mr. Leatham said that one of the most important benefits of the planning will be to identify and promote adequate rail service for areas experiencing rapid develop- ments involving the extraction and of natural resources and other energy-relate- d projects, even though the present federal act provides no funds for new rail facilities. He pointed out that Con- gross passed the Quad R Act primarily to help estern and mid- western states who are experienc- ing problems of railroad bankrupt- cies and abandonments of rail lines, Our problems in Utah are differ- in that we are experiencing an increased demand for rail service rather than the abandonment of rail lines, he said. Mr. Leatham said the data gathered for Utahs State- wide Rail Plan will be forwarded to with the hope that it will influence future legislation more suitable to Utah's needs. post-conventi- 1 on Pre-plann- $70-milli- on post-conventi- on travel-promotio- The international tour operators and travel agents were brought here for a firsthand look at what the area offers in the way of vacation and travel interest for their clients, according to Mr. Michael D. Galhvan, director of the Utah Travel Council, The visiting travel agents were responsible for booking more than in travel to North America in 1975. We are interested in showing these visitors exactly what we can provide for their clients, so that future bookings will be directed to our area, adding substantially to our already effective domestic forts, according to Mr. Gallivan. In addition, many of the visitors were writers from major travel publicatons in their countries, and we expect to receive a great deal of publicity in the form of magazine and newspaper articles, further enticing their readers to vacation in the Western states, he said, The travel agents here were among the largest and most suc-ecessful from the United Kingdom, Denmark, Japan, Canada, Italy, Norway, Brazil, Israel, France, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Neth- erlands, New Zealand, Sweden, South Africa, Korea, Peru, Austra-Congrelia, Argentina, chile, Luxembourg, and Uruguay, $200-milli- on . nt ss A Soaring County Tax Bill New Thrift Store Opens The 1976 average county-wid- e tax rate is 92 mills ($92 of taxes for Mental Retardation Associa- each $1,000 of assessed valuation). The ' tion of Utah will celebrate the The 1975. average rate was 87.46 Grand Opening of their newest mills. The 4.54 mill increase will Value Village Thrift Store at 2750 mean a $36,32 higher tax burden on West 3500 South in Granger No- a taxpayer living in a $40,000 vember 19 and 20. Hours will be home. from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Added all together. Salt Lake 9 to 6 on Saturday. County taxpayers this year will pay The Granger store now joins our in property taxes. $114,452,770 other three shops in serving its This is more was paid in the than community with quality recycled entire in 1962 state ($106,837,362). furniture, clothing and appliances while giving a helping hand to It is $10,538,973, or 10 more than Utah's retarded population, an- was charged last year. nounced Elaine Sharp, executive The figures below show that all it director of the units of government in the valley organization. depend heavily on property taxes Visitors are encouraged to regist-te- r for support: four school districts, for a free drawing to be held on nine cities and towns, and 26 Saturday, November 20, at 5 p.m. special taxing districts. The figures Several valuable antiques will be are preliminary, but are very near given away. Winners need not be the actual. Schools are responsible for present to be eligible for their of the entire prizes. $63,824,138, or The Mental Retardation Associa- county property tax load. The tion of Utah provides and supports Granite District alone will charge numerous services for handicapped and collect $22,421,513 in property children and adults. Their other taxes this year. Jordan is close Value Village Thrift Stores are behind with $18,120,921. located at 3750 South 70 East in School Tax Rates in the four Murray; 279 East 300 South in Salt county school districts vary great-ly- . Lake, and 211 Washington Blvd. in The Jordan District is high with a 53.31 mill rate, up 2.60 from 1975. Ogden. non-prof- - 56, Granite is 51.89 mills - the same as last year. Salt Lake City District is unchanged with 48.96. The Murray 1976 school tax rate is 52.38 mills no change. Salt Lake County Government will get $27,382,795, or of the total amount chargeid by all units of government within the county. This is an increase of $4,690,441 over the 1975 figure of $22,692,354. This is a one-yetax increase of 21. The Salt Lake County Levy went from 19.10 to 22.01 mills. Cities "and towns will impose $13,878,053 in property taxes this year. This is an increase of $1,258,-33or over the 1975 figure of Salt Lake City, includ$12,619,718. is ing library, responsible for $11, 526,096, or 83, of the total imposed by all cities and towns. Cities and towns impose 12 pf all property taxes in the county. Levies vary from 8 mills in South Jordan to 23.50 mills in Salt Lake -- 24, ar 5, 10, City. Special Taxing Districts will take of the entire $9,365,284, or property tax take this year. This is an increase of $842,770, or 10 over the 1975 figure of $8,522,514. There are presently 26 special 8, districts levying taxes in S. L. County. |