By Julie Poppen
Rocky Mountain News
Copyright 2007 Denver Publishing Company

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. — Charging a fee for the services of a search-and-rescue team in Colorado - as Golden is doing in the case of a Kansas man rescued this month in Clear Creek Canyon - is rare in Colorado.

Sometimes, restitution comes in the form of a fine when a crime is involved, such as the high-profile case involving missing Marine Lance Cpl. Lance Hering, who staged his own disappearance in Boulder County in August. His friend, Steve Powers, was ordered to pay $33,000 in search costs after admitting to aiding the hoax.

More common is billing a skier or snowboarder who gets lost after intentionally straying outside a ski area's boundaries.

The decision by the Golden Fire Department to charge hiker David Seals, a 35- year-old Topeka man who injured an ankle and became stranded June 12 in Clear Creek Canyon, more than $5,000 of rescue costs is drawing criticism.

"It has some real disastrous potential," said Clear Creek County Sheriff Don Krueger, noting that someone might put off calling for help until nightfall. "Then it just compounds things."

Few pay up
In fact, it seems that if charges do occur, they happen most often in Jefferson County, said Sue Schneider, who helps administer the Colorado Search and Rescue fund for the Department of Local Affairs in Grand Junction, as well as several current and former search-and-rescue volunteers interviewed for this story.

Jeffco Sheriff Ted Mink disputes that and said that charging for rescues remains extremely rare in his county.

"I would prefer never to charge, but there are instances ... where someone acts irresponsibly or negligently where we would consider (billing) based on the circumstances and the resources we had to deploy to that particular situation," he said.

Golden officials have said they are obligated by city ordinance to recoup costs for the volunteer fire department when it responds to calls outside its jurisdiction where there is no mutual aid agreement, as was the case in Clear Creek Canyon.

Fire Chief John Bales said bills are sent to individuals needing rescue only about three times per year. It's more of a symbolic gesture, in any case, because fewer than one in five of those people pay up.

"Billing is not an issue," Bales said. "Collection is an issue. Do we go after them? Of course not. Nobody is going to lose their home because they can't pay a bill."

Seals, who works as a steakhouse cook, said he plans to pay Golden $100 a month. He said he is thankful to rescuers, although he was surprised to receive a bill.

Turf questions
Search-and-rescue volunteers wonder why, in Seals' case, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office didn't summon the Jeffco-based Alpine Rescue Team, which never charges for a rescue.

Golden Fire Department spokeswoman Sabrina D'Agosta said fire crews have an agreement to provide rescues in that part of Clear Creek Canyon because they can get there the quickest.

"We did call Alpine Rescue in," D'Agosta said. "They responded with as many people as they could, but they only had 10 people there."

"We want to cooperate with those kinds of agencies, but there isn't always the manpower or the technical expertise (available)," D'Agosta said. "Rather than waiting ... you're better off getting someone up there who can respond quickly, especially in an emergency situation."

Former Alpine Rescue Team president Terrence Burke, of Durango, said turf battles have raged for years in Jeffco over who is better trained and equipped to handle mountain rescues.

Burke said volunteer fire departments are increasingly getting involved in the sexy world of rope rescue to alleviate the boredom of waiting for the next fire.

But Burke said firefighters should stick to fighting fires or responding when cars plunge into creeks. Search-and-rescue teams should handle highly technical mountain rescues, he said.

"It is a management problem that is shared by the county supervisors, the sheriff and the fire chiefs," he said.

Mink, however, disputed any allegation of tension between Alpine Rescue and other agencies.

"Quite frankly, they are our primary resource," he said. "We value their resources and their capabilities. I don't know what the angst is, but it's certainly not on this end."

Expertise defended
Clear Creek County Sheriff Krueger said he regularly dispatches the Alpine Rescue Team more than area fire departments.

Krueger said he's concerned when he sees firefighters in clumsy gear scaling steep mountain slopes.

But Chief Bales said Golden Fire has been handling high-angle rescues for decades. "We have one of the most outstanding technical rescue teams in the state of Colorado," he said.

Gary Armstrong, deputy chief of operations for West Metro Fire Rescue, said his agency also has long handled such rescues.

He said West Metro has charged people for rescues only two or three times in about six years. The agency backed off plans to charge Seals $2,400 after learning he didn't have the resources to pay.