Paying Insurance for the back country?

[omullinger]

What do you guys think, Should the person that caused the S&R be held accountable or should we start an insurance program, or keep it the way it is now?

 

[the_real_wild1]

I would hardly call our system free. What do Italians and the Swiss pay in taxes every year? I am thinking we pay just a tad more.....

 

[ferniesnow]

I would have no problem paying for an insurance program as long as every back-country user (hikers, fishermen, hunters, photographers, bird watchers, quadders, ssledders, skiers, boarders, outfitters, cat-ski operators, heli-skiers, and even people who get stuck and lost) who would be out there and have to call search and rescue would have to pay for the search and rescue service.

 

[somethingnuw]

I would hardly call our system free. What do Italians and the Swiss pay in taxes every year? I am thinking we pay just a tad more.....

I was in Italy two years ago suprised to see they don't pay property tax on their personal homes and no probate fee's (dead persons inheritence tax) so ya i think we pay out the azz! now thing get diff if someone is warned properly to stay out of an area... keep in mind italy has 1800 Game wardens for a coutry 1/3 the size of alberta... so im sure people know when the cross the line... in Canada that would be almost impossible except on ski hills ects... IMHOP

 

[Riverjet]

Then we can do the same for fire, police and ambulance. If you cause the need for either you should pay.
Where should we stop?

What do you guys think, Should the person that caused the S&R be held accountable or should we start an insurance program, or keep it the way it is now?

 

[moyiesledhead]

Then we can do the same for fire, police and ambulance. If you cause the need for either you should pay.
Where should we stop?

Exactly! And talk to Search a Rescue about it. They don't want a user pay system. It would discourage people from calling and create the potential for even more serious & dangerous recoveries being required of them.

 

[dogsmack]

"Schroeder, a seasoned rider with vast wilderness experience" Horrible loss, but this comment can not be valid. Anyone of us "seasoned riders" know a couple of standard rules.

1. Avi gear is a must come hell or high water.
2. Ride in a group and trust that group to find you with the Avi gear.
3. Check the reports and educate.

Don't get me wrong, it could be a valid argument trying to recover costs. How do you recover mental and emotional costs for the SnR people??? It has got to be tough especially dealing with a situation created by stupid.

My point. Tired of the media grabbing a tidbit here and there for their own twisted take on issues, pushing them or destroying them and educating an already baffled with BS society that sucks up all this media hype like a sponge. Mr. Schroeder took a chance, and very poorly planned or calculated chance and made his loved ones pay the price "for doing what he loved".

Maybe we need a back country tax and help SnR with gear to improve response time. What do I know I am just a dumb drywaller. I do know I am still learning back country rules and nervous is good because my sled has no brain and will take me were ever I point it and crush the throttle.

Everyone be safe out there and be smart.

 

[catinthehat]

Then we can do the same for fire, police and ambulance. If you cause the need for either you should pay.
Where should we stop?

The last time I checked, I already pay for all those thing. House insurance, Medical Services Plan, ICBC. Even with msp if I call an ambulance I still get a bill, paid plenty of those over the years with a disabled child.
I would certainly support an insurance plan that was reasonably priced, can you imagine how much money would be generated if everybody that used the backcountry paid 25 or 30 bucks per year as a premium. That would easily pay for most if not all the rescue cost yearly.( as long as the govt was kept out of it )

 

[teamgreen]

Then we can do the same for fire, police and ambulance. If you cause the need for either you should pay.
Where should we stop?

Ambulance has a fee to show up, plus fees for mileage, and even a cancellation fee if you dont want them but they check you out. Fire Dept definitely isnt free, your house has a fire, vehicle dumps fluids on the ground and they send you a bill.

 

[Summiteer]

I would hardly call our system free. What do Italians and the Swiss pay in taxes every year? I am thinking we pay just a tad more.....

Um yeah, no. Europeans pay more in tax than we do. And get more services for their money.

 

[omullinger]

Yeah, we pay sooooo much more than them

 

[LBZ]

Exactly! And talk to Search a Rescue about it. They don't want a user pay system. It would discourage people from calling and create the potential for even more serious & dangerous recoveries being required of them.

Exactly. It's a bad idea.
Best way around it is to up trail fees or charge insurance fees per day if it was to come to it-not that I really want it to. Just sayin....

 

[Cdnfireman]

Something needs to be done to reimburse the services and properly pay the volunteers that time after time bail people out of situations they've gotten themselves into. Police, Fire and EMS are already paid for in taxes, however if they have to go way out in the boonies to rescue someone then there should be a way to recover the extra costs. Rural emergency services are thin on the ground everywhere. When they have to group together to perform a rescue, it means that everyone else in their response area goes with less or no emergency service coverage, often because people are stupid or unprepared.
I have no problem with paying a permit fee for backcountry use provided:
1) ALL backcountry users have to contribute. Whether it's a direct charge or added to license plates, fishing or hunting licenses park passes etc. Nobody gets a free ride.
2) all monies raised go into emergency response and backcountry improvements and not to general revenues for the govt. That way it's a user pay system.
These services don't just happen and the people in them don't just exsist to pull someone's dumb ass out of a sling. It costs to equip them and they deserve to be compensated for risking their lives to save others (although most if not all of them might not agree with this.) if a volunteer is killed during a rescue, what happens to their family? There's no pension for them, the best they can hope for is coverage by WCB. Hardly fair to them.
The argument that people won't call for help if they know there's going to be a cost is weak. If they don't, then they'll soon be recycled into the ecosystem. Most people value their lives more than their money.

 

[RGM]

https://www.findmespot.ca/en/index.php?cid=104

17.95 USD a year seems pretty cheap. Anybody signed up with this?

 

[Oilboy]

yes i have a spot, and always get the extra 911/rescue insurance, $18 is super cheep

 

[the_real_wild1]

I think those charts are off. I have never heard from anyone that moved down to the us from canada that they pay more taxes. It has always been quite the opposite. They pay a lot less. If I am wrong please show me otherwise.

 

[omullinger]

I think those charts are off. I have never heard from anyone that moved down to the us from canada that they pay more taxes. It has always been quite the opposite. They pay a lot less. If I am wrong please show me otherwise.

You can check it out here for yourself

 

[omullinger]

Dont know why it posted 2 times

 

[the_real_wild1]

Ok well let's just look at Canada's tax rate according to that chart. It says 29%. Now we all know or should know that there is more then one rate. It all depends on your income level. We all don't pay 29%. Then while in canada don't forget all the other taxes we pay to the government.

 

[omullinger]

Ok well let's just look at Canada's tax rate according to that chart. It says 29%. Now we all know or should know that there is more then one rate. It all depends on your income level. We all don't pay 29%. Then while in canada don't forget all the other taxes we pay to the government.

So 30% has almost always been the first income level tax rate in Canada. And I looked it up and the US one is inconsistent. The same income level as our 30% is 28%. My bad. KPMG ie usually a very reliable source for financial institutions. Also keep in mind, that is only federal income tax. Your original post was what I was getting at. Same income level in Canada pays less in taxes than swiss and Italians pay. Which comes down to the point, they make you pay for SAR and charge more in taxes.

sent while I'm probably at work