Lost Hikers – To Charge or Not To Charge

Debate rages on this week between charging those who need  a search and rescue team dispatched because a hiker is lost and those who want to continue the current policy of not charging lost hikers. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of charging:

Cons to charging: 

1. Some who are lost could be dissuaded to call out search and rescue because of the associated cost.
2. There is a moral and legal responsibility of the government to provide rescue services.
3. Charging for rescues could be seen as “discriminatory towards specific user groups like hikers or climbers, who might be targeted for fees while other public safety services remain free,” according to some.
4. There is little associated cost to performing search and rescue operations since many times members of the teams are unpaid.

Pros to charging:

1. Those who act recklessly or negligently when hiking should be charged a fee if search and rescue is called out.
2. Taxpayers shouldn’t be held liable (financially accountable) for those who don’t properly prepare to hike.
3. Charging a fee could act as a deterrent to those who decide to go hiking without being prepared; i.e., they would be encouraged to be better prepared.

I’ve been married to Steve for some time and over the years he has volunteered at a number of agencies: a local police department, the local sheriff’s department and the American Red Cross (to name a few). He’s purchased his own uniforms and, in the case of San Fernando PD, attended and graduated from the police academy. All of these things cost money and it came out of his own pocket.

Today he is an active member of the Montrose Search and Rescue team. At all hours of the day and night, in all types of weather, he has been called out to rescue someone who has gone over the side of the road in a vehicle because of excessive speed or carelessness; is lost while hiking in the local mountains or forest; is trapped in the forest or mountains by unexpected weather. 

He is well trained in everything from recognizing disturbances in road berms to rappelling from a helicopter to climbing up a rope – and of course rescuing lost hikers. He has been trained in water rescues and ice rescues, too.

As an aside, reserve deputy SAR members are paid –– $1 a year. Volunteer SAR members get paid nothing – zero, zilch. I commend him and others who volunteer their time to rescue folks; however, many of our rescuers are “aging out,” meaning that soon the ranks of rescuers will be much depleted. Perhaps by paying our rescuers more people would apply for the job. After all, ultimately it’s the decision of fellow team members to bring a candidate onto the team.

And to be honest, it oftentimes ruffles my feathers when a dinner has to be postponed, we have to take two cars to an event in case he is called out or things around the house (which are piling up) are pushed aside.

So I vote yes – let’s pay these people. They’ve earned it – and continue to do so.