Charging for rescue

[letsroll]

"We need to charge to rescue mountain climbers." People who argue for that list that people are taking undue risk. Well how about the people who are now getting rescued from the devistation of Ike?? They took on undue risk.

 

[mtn_mouse]

[Hugh Conway]

I get Rescue insurance, and other benefits, for $75/year.

 

Not that big a deal.

[Gary_Yngve]

It's the same selfish couch-potato morons who think that climbers should pay for rescues who also think that bicyclists should be banned from the roads. They're a bunch of idiots.

[G-spotter]

Just wait till the great PNW earthquake, those same people will be begging for help.

[ivan]

Just wait till the great PNW earthquake, those same people will be begging for help.

an EQ isn't exactly a disaster you can avoid though by not going cilmbing or staying behind after an evacuation order

[G-spotter]

It's a disaster you can avoid by living in Ireland, which has never had an earthquake in recorded history.

 

 

Move.

[ivan]

It's a disaster you can avoid by living in Ireland, which has never had an earthquake in recorded history.

 

 

Move.

but the irish did expect the english to rescue them after the potato blight caused a famine, no?

[kevbone]

Do you get a bill if you ride in an ambulance?

[RuMR]

Yes...you do get a bill...

[kevbone]

What is the difference?

[billcoe]

"We need to charge to rescue mountain climbers." People who argue for that list that people are taking undue risk. Well how about the people who are now getting rescued from the devistation of Ike?? They took on undue risk.

 

The gobment should not be in the business of rescuing people.

 

If you are going to ask for help when you screw up or get in trouble, and they have to pay, then they get to dictate what, when and where you will go.

 

It's that simple. So they should be out of the rescue business so we can be free.

 

That simple.

[ivan]

"We need to charge to rescue mountain climbers." People who argue for that list that people are taking undue risk. Well how about the people who are now getting rescued from the devistation of Ike?? They took on undue risk.

 

The gobment should not be in the business of rescuing people.

 

 

If you are going to ask for help when you screw up or get in trouble, and they have to pay, then they get to dictate what, when and where you will go.

 

It's that simple. So they should be out of the rescue business so we can be free.

 

That simple.

 

if they're using state resources that i paid for in my taxes though, can't i argue that i'm owed - for example, the coast guard has those cool helicopters that i helped fund, so arne't i within my rights to expect them to come get me if a rip-tide drags me out to sea?

[RuMR]

What is the difference?

none, imo...you warrant a rescue on the freeway from a car crash, you'll get a bill...

 

you warrant a rescue in the hills, you'll get a bill...

 

europe is this way...might encourage a little more caution/get-myself-out-of-this-mess-by-myself-ness...

[Hugh Conway]

"We need to charge to rescue mountain climbers." People who argue for that list that people are taking undue risk. Well how about the people who are now getting rescued from the devistation of Ike?? They took on undue risk.

 

The gobment should not be in the business of rescuing people.

 

If you are going to ask for help when you screw up or get in trouble, and they have to pay, then they get to dictate what, when and where you will go.

 

It's that simple. So they should be out of the rescue business so we can be free.

 

That simple.

 

lets get the government out of the war business too.

 

after all - no army means no one would want to attack us, right?

[Tokogirl]

It's the same selfish couch-potato morons who think that climbers should pay for rescues who also think that bicyclists should be banned from the roads. They're a bunch of idiots.

 

Have to say I get the above mentioned arguement everytime I visit the folks. When I lived overseas my dad would cut out mountaineering or skiing accident articles and send them to me saying - "my tax dollars at work".

Europe does have a good system of insurance for mountain accidents - skydiving, climbing, skiing, etc..

[mike1]

I might look at this differently with a paid professional rescue organization, but I think PMR has the right take.

 

Should rescue organizations charge for their future services? PMR feels that imposing a charge for search and rescue operations may delay or complicate future missions, possibly putting more human lives at risk. There are documented cases of persons delaying the call for help because they feared being charged for the cost of the rescue mission. The value of a human life far outweighs the monetary cost of the rescue, and the rescuers put their lives at risk with full knowledge of the potential consequences.

Edited September 21, 2008 by Mikester

[denalidave]

Do you get a bill if you ride in an ambulance?

Absofukinlutely! At least I did and it was expensive as hell.

[pc313]

In 2000 I was rearended in vancouver Wa. four Firemen ducttaped me to a board though me in a ambulance,the kid who hit me was sitting across from me in the same ambulance for the ten minute ride,my bill was $975 so I called to bitch after all the kid hit me and rode in a jump seat,so send him the bill,they said he got charged $975 dollars too!!! My uncle was lifeflighted 80 mi.in july the bill was $15,600 for the 55 minute ride!!!!

 

 

Do you get a bill if you ride in an ambulance?

[pc313]

I have PIP on my car insurance,where do you get Rescue insurance for $75/year?

 

 

I get Rescue insurance, and other benefits, for $75/year.

 

Not that big a deal.

[mike1]

I love this!

*** LOST IN THE WOODS? HELP IS JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY ***

By

CRAIG MEDRED

 

Once upon a time, people went into the wilderness equipped with tools

and shelter so they might be able to survive on their own.

Technology is rapidly changing that. Now people ride into the

wilderness on machinery and take their cellular phones for survival.

 

A couple of these people made the news this week when

their snowmobiles got stuck in deep snow, and they had to call

for help. It was not the first time that has happened this

winter, and the way things are going it may not be the last.

 

More than a few people seem to have figured out that if

you have a cellular phone and no shame, you don't need to know

to know wit about wilderness survival before setting off into

the Alaska backcountry.

 

Get in trouble? Dial up a rescue chopper...

It would be easy to get upset about this sort of behavior, but anger

is a useless waste of energy. Better to find a solution to the problem,

and, conveniently, there is one staring us in the face.

 

Here is one situation where government really should act

more like a business. Consider: Is there the owner of a cellular phone

who lacks a credit card? I doubt it. Thus the increasing number of

cellular phone pleas for help should go like this:

 

''Elmendorf Rescue Coordination Center. Go ahead, sir.''

 

''Uh, yah, uh, me and my buddy Jake here, we, uh, got our snowmachines

stuck in, uh, overflow up here along the, uh, Susitna River, or maybe

that's the Little Susitna River, and, uh, like man it's really cold.''

''Yes sir. What can we do for you?''

''Uh, well, uh, we'd like for somebody to come and get us, 'cause it's

like dark and kind of scary, too.''

 

''Yes sir. We can do that. Do you have a credit card?''

''Uh ya.''

''OK. Will you be using MasterCard, Visa or American Express?''

''Well, uh.''

''Sir?''

''Ah, Visa.''

''Thank you, sir. Would you read me the 16-digit account number please?''

''Well, I can't see it.''

''Do you still have fuel in your snowmachine, sir?''

''Ah, yes.''

''Start it up please, sir, and use the headlight to read me the number.''

 

Vrooooooooooom, putt, putt, putt.

 

''OK, here it is: 4452-9973-0211-6411.''

''Thank you, sir, and the expiration date?''

''Zero-three, 96.''

''Now sir, would you like our Gold Level helicopter rescue at $932.57, our

Silver Level snowmobile rescue at $352.29, or our Bronze Level

two-guys-on-snowshoes-with-a-sled rescue, special this week only, at

$99.95.''

 

''Ah, I don't know. Let me talk to my buddy. ... OK, we'll take the Silver

rescue.''

''Very good, sir. Now, do you know exactly where you are?''

''We ain't got a clue.''

''OK, that's fine, sir. Hold on while I talk to my boss.... OK, this week

only, he says there's a special deal on our ILO, that's the Idiot Locator

Overflight. For only $97 per hour we can have a light plane airborne and

searching for you within minutes.''

 

''Please, please. My fingers are cold.''

''Very good, sir. The plane will be in the air momentarily. Do you have a

fire to keep you warm until help arrives?''

''Nooooooooooooooo, and we're cold.''

 

''OK, sir. For another $77, I can arrange for the plane to drop you our

deluxe fire-starting kit complete with matches, wood and a commercially

manufactured FireLog anyone can light. Or, if you would prefer, we can

drop the basic fire-starting kit with some old newspaper and a couple logs

for only $27.''

''Man, this is starting to get pretty expensive. We better take the basic

kit.''

''Very good, sir. Do you have an ax, a hatchet, a large knife or something

with which to reduce one off the logs to kindling?''

''A hatchet? Do you think we'd be out here freezing to death in the

wilderness if we had a hatchet and matches?''

''Sorry sir. Might I then suggest the deluxe kit.''

''OK. OK. Drop the deluxe kit. Now where's the airplane.''

''He should be circling somewhere in your area now, sir. Could you start

your snowmachine again and flash your headlight on and off?

 

''Very good, sir. He reports he has you in sight and is preparing to drop

the fire-starting kit. The snowmobile rescue team should be there within

30 minutes. Our airplane has put you five miles north of the Klondike Inn

at Big Lake. The snowmobile rescue team will take you there.

 

''Now, will you be spending the night? We can arrange for rooms, along with

meals and hot-tub treatments for hypothermia and frostbite if necessary.

Would like to put this all on the MasterCard, or would you prefer to use

another form of payment?''

 

 

Craig Medred is the Daily News outdoors editor and an opinion columnist.

[Hugh Conway]

I have PIP on my car insurance,where do you get Rescue insurance for $75/year?

 

Any of the European Alpine Clubs.

[pindude]

I have PIP on my car insurance,where do you get Rescue insurance for $75/year?

 

Any of the European Alpine Clubs.

 

Huh? American Alpine Club membership is $75/year, and includes global rescue insurance.

 

 

[Hugh Conway]

Huh? American Alpine Club membership is $75/year, and includes global rescue insurance.

 

 

OH MY GOD A $5,000 benefit! Who the fuck cares? That's like what, 1/2 A HELI RIDE? The Austrian Alpine Club is $33,000 per member, and it gets you the hut discount when you are travelling in Europe.

 

American Alpine Club is a shitty american social club.

[ken4ord]

I think people should definitely get charged for a rescue, but it needs to be equal accross the board. I have heard cases of hikers who are lost who need a rescue not being charged and then climber who need a rescue being charged by the same organization. To me that is not fair. Rescue cost seem much higher than they should be. I know flying in a helicopter is expensive, and salaries are expensive, but as tax payer we are paying for these things. Maybe billing fuel cost, overtime cost and additional rsik bonus seem fair, but full operational cost seem unfair. If I want to go heli skiing for the day it cost around $1000, but rescue bills can be much higher 10-40 times higher, the math doesn't really work out right in my mind. Also they need to work something out for rescue insurance so that it is available and that it would cover the rescue costs.

 

I have always gone into the mountains under the assupmtion that if I needed a rescue that I would get billed.