Costs of Rescue...

[OldFrog75]

If the US Coast Guard (or any military service) effects a rescue at sea does the rescued party get a bill for those services (like an ambulance ride) or is it supplied gratis?

[Stumble]

Currently SAR (search and rescue) operations are funded by tax payers. The USCG doesn't charge people it rescues.

However, calling in a fake emergency is a pretty major felony, and comes with a very heavy fine, as well as financial liability for the resources expended.

In short a real rescue is free, but calling in a false alarm can be very expensive ($2,000/hr for a helicopter, $1,200/hr for a patrol boat, $7,000/hr for a c-130h).

[MarkJ]

Its politically very hard to charge for humanitarian acts.



.

[caradow]

The State Department in the good ole USA just announced they cannot account for $6 Billion dollars.
It is absolutely mind boggling how you loose $6 Billion.

Rescue at sea is money well spent.

[Captain Bill]

How much are we spending looking for dead people in the indian Ocean? Will we be sending a bill to the families?

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Stumble

Currently SAR (search and rescue) operations are funded by tax payers. The USCG doesn't charge people it rescues.

However, calling in a fake emergency is a pretty major felony, and comes with a very heavy fine, as well as financial liability for the resources expended.

In short a real rescue is free, but calling in a false alarm can be very expensive ($2,000/hr for a helicopter, $1,200/hr for a patrol boat, $7,000/hr for a c-130h).

They'd fit right in with the Marine industry!!

[fozrunner]

I would say they are not really searching for dead people in the Indian Ocean. They are searching for an explanation as to how that tragedy could happen, and some closure for the families.

[Tx J]

Originally Posted by caradow

The State Department in the good ole USA just announced they cannot account for $6 Billion dollars.
It is absolutely mind boggling how you loose $6 Billion.

Rescue at sea is money well spent.

Well, our former Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority under Viceroy Bremer 'lost' $9 Billion in one palletized chunk, hundreds of other Billion$ in smaller bits at a time; let alone that which was lost to corruption, etc., in Afghanistan. What else might one expect?
Coalition Provisional Authority - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Investment in post-invasion Iraq - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Yes, rescue at sea/COSPAS/SAR efforts are very worthwhile, and provided by most seafaring nations as a reciprocal international service.

[OldFrog75]

Originally Posted by caradow

The State Department in the good ole USA just announced they cannot account for $6 Billion dollars.
It is absolutely mind boggling how you loose $6 Billion.

Rescue at sea is money well spent.

It's all relative isn't it. With a $4 Trillion budget that's like someone with $100 not being able to account for 15 cents.

[Boatguy30]

Don't forget "they need the practice anyway" this is an often quipped bit when this topic comes up. It's really free anyway...

I reckon this logic would get you all sorts of deals, car mechanics, x ray techs, plumbers. All need practice. Why should they charge?

I also agree the airliner search has nothing do with the selective picking up of a few wayward yachties. What the airline industry worth world wide, billions annually?

[zboss]

Originally Posted by OldFrog75

It's all relative isn't it. With a $4 Trillion budget that's like someone with $100 not being able to account for 15 cents.

I understand what you are saying but I don't have a problem accounting for 15 cents out of every $100 I spend. I rarely use cash so it all on my AMEX statement.

Next time we invade Iraq we should give out AMEX gift cards to the warlords.

[socaldmax]

Originally Posted by zboss

I understand what you are saying but I don't have a problem accounting for 15 cents out of every $100 I spend. I rarely use cash so it all on my AMEX statement.

Next time we invade Iraq we should give out AMEX gift cards to the warlords.

Sure, as long as the merchants in Iraq don't take Amex.

[socaldmax]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Don't forget "they need the practice anyway" this is an often quipped bit when this topic comes up. It's really free anyway...

I reckon this logic would get you all sorts of deals, car mechanics, x ray techs, plumbers. All need practice. Why should they charge?

I also agree the airliner search has nothing do with the selective picking up of a few wayward yachties. What the airline industry worth world wide, billions annually?

Let's pick up that discussion here, where it is appropriate.

All of the military personnel in that air wing are paid a monthly salary. Whether they are doing a rescue, or sitting in the office Facebooking, or sleeping, they get paid the same. If they are out doing a rescue, there is not one penny of additional labor cost involved for the month. It's just one more thing they did that month that they didn't get paid extra for.

Every quarter the squadron (and every military unit) is issued a budget called an OPTAR (last I knew) which they have to expend by the end of the quarter. If they blow it all the first month, they don't get to buy parts or supplies for the next 2 months. If they end up with a surplus at the end, they buy office supplies or desks, or whatever to burn it up, or it gets taken away and a smaller budget is allotted next quarter.

Every month they have training requirements, maintenance to do, and regular operations like this rescue. It's already in the budget, it's not an added expense. Even if they had already done more than the normal number of rescues for the quarter, they can easily just write this up as a training exercise and cover the fuel expended, which is the only variable expense involved. They have to do so many hours of flight time anyways, this just happens to be a very worthy exercise.


There is no comparison in the civilian world. Car mechanics, doctors, plumbers, etc all get plenty of practice ripping off their customers on a daily basis. No need to set aside a training budget or exercises for it.

[jackdale]

AMVER coordinates rescues. I developed a presentation after our rescue.

Rescue me

[cal40john]

One thing that's brought up whenever billing for emergency services comes up is timely calling for help. It's said most rescues cost less and are easier to do if people call for help early, rather than wait until it's really cocked up. Their argument is that if people are worried about getting billed they won't call for help until things are really messed up.