Thread: If you're going to Moab, bring your checkbook...

Grand County passes ordinance billing search and rescue victims
By CHRISTIE L. HILL
Associated Press Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- In what appears to be a first in Utah,
Grand County Council members on Tuesday made it easier to collect
from outdoor enthusiasts who are successfully rescued by county
crews but then ignore the bills for that effort.

The council voted 5-0 to approve an ordinance allowing officials
to turn those bills over to collection agencies if arrangements
aren't made to get the bill paid within a reasonable time.

The county -- which includes some of Utah's most picturesque
but
potentially deadly tourist stops near Moab -- has charged for search
and rescue missions for at least seven years, said councilman Rex
Tanner, who also heads Grand County Search and Rescue.

"I think we've been successful in capturing about 25 percent"
of taxpayer money spent on rescues, Tanner said.
The county hopes to pump that number up to 80 percent with help
from the ordinance.

The base cost of launching a search and rescue team is $275,
Tanner said. Depending on the type of mission, the cost can rise if
a helicopter or heavy equipment is used.
Rescues of rock climbers or base jumpers can be even more
expensive.

"You're in an element that you're putting the rescuers in just
as much danger as the person hanging off the cliff," said Tanner.
Grand County sets aside about $60,000 of its budget for search
and rescue operations. But Tanner said the county spends much more
than that for not only the missions, but also for training and
expensive equipment.

Grand County and others also rely on the state's Search and
Rescue Financial Assistance Program, which the legislature created
in 1997. It's funded by a surcharge on fishing and hunting
licenses, along with boating and off-road vehicle registrations.

The fund is used to reimburse the counties for some of the costs
they bear, but budget crunches and an escalating number of search
and rescue missions are making it hard on the counties.

Critics of the county ordinance say fear of getting a bill could
keep some people from calling for help.
"There's too much passion the opposite way in the search and
rescue community for me to believe there is a legitimate reason for
charging each individual victim for their search," said Jacki
Golike, executive director for the Virginia-based National
Association for Search and Rescue.

Officials in several other counties said they might consider
proposing ordinances similar to Grand County's.
"It's something that we'd be interested in doing," said Summit
County Sheriff Dave Edmunds. "Public safety is our number one
priority but it's a costly endeavor."

Does a hunting/fishing/hiking card or licence indemnify you from being billed? In CO government has the right to charge you for SAR but to my knowledge it has never happened.

At first I was thinking this thread was about how much more red baron's trip to moab cost him than a ride with the thunderbirds would have.

I thought red baron was going to say he got fooled by the drug trap thing they have going and got busted.

Nope, I was in Cedar City instead of flying- and would never carry anything illegal in my truck in Southern Utah. Never...

Originally posted by Red Baron
Nope, I was in Cedar City instead of flying- and would never carry anything illegal in my truck in Southern Utah. Never...

...now that the Olsen twins are 18 right?

Originally posted by Red Baron
Grand County and others also rely on the state's Search and
Rescue Financial Assistance Program, which the legislature created
in 1997. It's funded by a surcharge on fishing and hunting
licenses, along with boating and off-road vehicle registrations.

The fund is used to reimburse the counties for some of the costs
they bear, but budget crunches and an escalating number of search
and rescue missions are making it hard on the counties.

Critics of the county ordinance say fear of getting a bill could
keep some people from calling for help.
"There's too much passion the opposite way in the search and
rescue community for me to believe there is a legitimate reason for
charging each individual victim for their search," said Jacki
Golike, executive director for the Virginia-based National
Association for Search and Rescue.

Officials in several other counties said they might consider
proposing ordinances similar to Grand County's.
"It's something that we'd be interested in doing," said Summit
County Sheriff Dave Edmunds. "Public safety is our number one
priority but it's a costly endeavor."

NASAR is right. If one person, just one person, dies or undures extra injury due to dealying calling SAR, even for just a little bit, out of fear that they will be stuck with a bill for several thousand dollars, then this "cost recovery" program has violated the very basis of SARs mission: TO SAVE PEOPLE!

The article seems to indicated that holding certain outdoor licensees or registration does protect one from charges. I don't know if UT has the same SAR card option that CO has. I seem to recall something about involvement with the American Alpine Association gains you such coverage... but I could be wrong a bout that.

Originally posted by Foggy_Goggles
Does a hunting/fishing/hiking card or licence indemnify you from being billed? In CO government has the right to charge you for SAR but to my knowledge it has never happened.

If you have to be rescued (or recovered) by the Summit County Rescue Group (Summit, CO), you will not be charged by them for the rescue effort unless the funds are exhausted for the year (in which case you must pay unless you have a SAR card or other qualifying licenses.) Such a fund crisis has not occured in many years and even then you would only be charged for equiptment and material costs (you are not charged for volunteer rescuer labor). The same goes for the Summit County Water Rescue Team. You may still be charged for helicopter, hospital/ambulance bills, (these are not SAR units and may be covered by your medical insurance) and for vehicle recovery (may be covered in some instances by auto or supplimentary insurance).

A SAR card is $3 in cash for one year or $12 for five years. Though your chances of being charged by local SAR are infintesimal, please get a card anyway. Even if you don't ever have to be rescued, much of the money goes towards equiptment and training for colunteer rescue teams around the state. SUPPORT VOLUNTEER RESCUERS!

For details on the card look here: http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...&threadid=6525
http://www.state.co.us/searchandrescue/

Purchase from one of these locations: http://www.state.co.us/searchandres...nts/vendors.pdf
Or over the phone with a credit card at 970-248-7310

SUPPORT VOLUNTEER RESCUE TEAMS!

I found this a little disturbing,

Grand County sets aside about $60,000 of its budget for search and rescue operations. But Tanner said the county spends much more than that for not only the missions, but also for training and expensive equipment.

It would seem to me that their budget is inadequte. While I don't think that people should not be responsible for their own rescues, I think that there should be some sort of plan to help with the associated costs.
The rescues can be amazingly costly, and sometimes I think a debt that many individuals would not be able to repay. Sending it to collections isn't an effective plan if the amount is so great that the individual is unable to repay.

I guess what I'm asking is what is the amount that justifies something like this and what is the level where the fund should be used to assist in the cost of a rescue?

I don't think that individuals who have a few thousand dollars in bills should be justified but, if the bill is in excess of a certain amount, there should be a compensation from the fund. It seems that they should take into account the amount of the bill relative to a persons income, not just ship it off to collections.

Originally posted by SummitCo 1776
A SAR card is $3 in cash for one year or $12 for five years. Though your chances of being charged by local SAR are infintesimal, please get a card anyway. Even if you don't ever have to be rescued, much of the money goes towards equiptment and training for colunteer rescue teams around the state. SUPPORT VOLUNTEER RESCUERS!

For details on the card look here: http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...&threadid=6525
http://www.state.co.us/searchandrescue/

Purchase from one of these locations: http://www.state.co.us/searchandres...nts/vendors.pdf
Or over the phone with a credit card at 970-248-7310

SUPPORT VOLUNTEER RESCUE TEAMS!

Good info on the sar card. But, please, for the love of god stop using that red in your posts. It burns my retinas.

Does or has any SAR ever differeniate on whether to charge someone based upon whether it was gross negligence (like attempting the grand teton solo in winter with tevas) or just bad luck (like struck by lightning)?

Weird. I started reading this thread and then two seconds later you're (RB) on TV doing a story on this.

Hmm, and 10 seconds later I'm on here replying to your post.

Funny how that works....

Ok gang, I'm out for a few days - leaving for Telluride right now; should be a fun little overnight jaunt- we're actually stopping in Moab to crash at Sand Flats for the night, then going to T-ride early in the AM.

Be safe & play nice...