By Julie Poppen
Rocky Mountain News
Copyright 2007 Denver Publishing Company
DENVER — Plans to bill an injured Kansas hiker $5,000 for his mountain rescue have reignited a long-running debate over charging for search and rescue missions.
On one side is the Mountain Rescue Association and the many search and rescue groups it represents. A search and rescue credo is to never charge someone in trouble, even if that person needs help where there is no search and rescue team.
On the other side are financially strapped fire departments and sheriffs’ offices that object to providing services for free outside their boundaries, as was the case in the rescue of injured hiker David Seals.
Seals, a 35-year-old Topeka man, spent one night a week ago on a steep hillside in Clear Creek Canyon after injuring his ankle.
His brother and another hiker left to get help, alerting authorities about 1:30 a.m. last Tuesday. Teams from the Golden Fire Department and West Metro Fire Protection District rescued Seals shortly after 9:30 a.m. from a wet 600-foot cliff near Tunnel 1 on U.S. 6.
Now, the Golden Fire Department is billing him about $5,000. The biggest expense was overtime charges. West Metro Fire Protection District has backed off plans to charge him $2,400.
Seals could not be reached Sunday.
“It’s not really all that uncommon for any fire agency or emergency rescue (organization) to charge for responses outside of their districts,” said Sabrina D’Agosta, spokeswoman for the city of Golden.
Jeffco called on Golden to assist in the rescue because there is no technical rescue team in Jefferson County. The area may have a Golden mailing address, but it is not within the city limits. Golden Fire does not charge for rescues within the city.
“We respond whenever we’re asked to come,” D’Agosta said. “We are simply billing to cover the cost of our operation. Our taxpayers don’t really pay their taxes to rescue people in other jurisdictions.”
D’Agosta said the agency works with people who have financial difficulties. In truth, she said, the agency only recoups 20 percent of such charges.
Steve Chappell, regional vice chairman of the Mountain Rescue Association, Rocky Mountain Region, said people should never be charged for a rescue in the first place. “Whether you’re in a district or not, the county has a certain set of taxes that cover rescue,” said Chappell.
“If we were to take part in charging for our services, there is a strong belief that this may actually cause people to delay calling for help when they really need it.”
Upon learning that Seals did not have insurance and would not be able to pay, West Metro is going to seek reimbursement through a state fund that gives grants to search and rescue groups, said Micki Trost, West Metro Fire spokeswoman.
Trost said the agency has only sent bills to a few people over the years.
“When in-district we do not charge,” Trost said.