Coast Guard rescues lost divers off Anclote Key in Florida

[admikar]

Regarding sky high helicopter EMS bills Americans are slapped with, despite having insurance, who foots the bill for Coasties?
My utmost respect for "orange" personnel!

 

[CuzzA]

Regarding sky high helicopter EMS bills Americans are slapped with, despite having insurance, who foots the bill for Coasties?
My utmost respect for "orange" personnel!

For USCG rescue you will not pay a dime. This has already been budgeted in Federal spending. So technically the American tax payer pays for every rescue.

The only time an individual could be stuck with a bill is for a hoax rescue.

 

[SCRedWolf]

Regarding sky high helicopter EMS bills Americans are slapped with, despite having insurance, who foots the bill for Coasties?
My utmost respect for "orange" personnel!

As Cuzza said it's the taxpayer that foots the bill. Much like the fire department and the police department that's exactly what they're there for. Now if it were a hospital's air ambulance service then there'd be a charge. I've been told that the "fwhop, fwhop, fwhop" sound of a helicopter is actually "fifty bucks, fifty bucks, fifty bucks".

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

As Cuzza said it's the taxpayer that foots the bill. Much like the fire department and the police department that's exactly what they're there for. Now if it were a hospital's air ambulance service then there'd be a charge. I've been told that the "fwhop, fwhop, fwhop" sound of a helicopter is actually "fifty bucks, fifty bucks, fifty bucks".

Just a note - 3/4 of all fire departments in the US are volunteer - supported by mostly by donations and some are supported through taxpayer dollars. Just sayin...

 

[2airishuman]

As Cuzza said it's the taxpayer that foots the bill. Much like the fire department and the police department that's exactly what they're there for.

Where I live, the fire department collects a substantial service charge when they respond to a fire. Typically, homeowner's insurance pays it.

There are also service charges for certain types of police calls, notably burglar alarms.

 

[SCRedWolf]

Where I live, the fire department collects a substantial service charge when they respond to a fire. Typically, homeowner's insurance pays it.

There are also service charges for certain types of police calls, notably burglar alarms.

Never heard of the fire department charging but false alarms on home burglar alarms I have. Here in the southeast they get a lot of false alarms because our lovely thunderstorms during the summer often trigger glass break sensors. My friend has a system I refer to as a weather alert.

 

[SCRedWolf]

Just a note - 3/4 of all fire departments in the US are volunteer - supported by mostly by donations and some are supported through taxpayer dollars. Just sayin...

Well 2 out of ? divers say different than my understanding so I guess I stand (well, sitting reclined really) corrected. Out of curiosity I looked up some numbers and it stands to reason most are volunteers - 70% serve communities/areas of less than 25,000 people. I live just outside of a small city so about half of the fire stations nearby are volunteer and the others are "professionals" inside the city limits.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

I live just outside of a small city so about half of the fire stations nearby are volunteer and the others are "professionals" inside the city limits.

Let me help you there We are all professionals - some are "paid" and others volunteer their services...

 

[Jack Hammer]

The article also has a link to an article of another pair of divers rescued off Puerto Rico who were lost whole diving from a dive charter.

Always carry a workable signal device.

 

[SCRedWolf]

Let me help you there We are all professionals - some are "paid" and others volunteer their services...

That's what I meant by the quotes on professionals. Didn't mean for anyone to take it that the volunteers weren't pros, just not paid. Sorry if I confused.