Alpine rescue team arrived after the fact
Speakout author Scott Havener (“Billing injured hiker is a big mistake,” July 1) writes as if he were a member of Alpine Search and Rescue, but was he on the scene of the rescue in Clear Creek Canyon, or is his description of the event based on secondhand information?
Did Alpine members have the aerial photos of the location showing alternative rescue routes on the scene?
The Golden Fire Department routinely calls Alpine if additional manpower and equipment might be needed to complete a rescue. The rescue was already under way when Alpine volunteers arrived, and none were needed.
Havener implies that Alpine volunteers are more experienced and better qualified than the Golden Fire Department rescue team.
The Golden Fire Department is a volunteer organization, with only a small full-time staff; those volunteers are paid by Golden taxpayers for more than 600 hours of training per year, plus a modest amount for answering emergency calls. The city takes into account individual circumstances of rescues outside the city limits and does not bill all those it helps.
If Alpine members want to persuade hikers in serious trouble that it is better to be rescued without risking paying for it than to phone for 911 first responders, the club should advertise that and publish its phone number in all hiking or climbing areas.
Dick Sugg, Golden
Most of the time if you want to play ya gotta pay.
Posted by AAA on July 23, 2007 10:13 AMNo idea on the question of Alpine versus Golden Fire, but in general on the issue of payment:
The cost of a rescue here or there is a small fraction of the money we would lose if tourists worried about each hike resulting in a $10,000 fee.
Please don't even think about killing the golden goose!
Posted by Doug H. on July 24, 2007 02:20 PM