Who pays if you set off an EPIRB?
Trentus
emergency or threat to life, who pays for the rescue if you set it off?
Does this change if you set it off because you ran out of coffee, or felt
too tired to complete the walk?
(And no, I'm not planning on setting one off for moronic reasons, in fact
I'm hoping to never have to set one off)
Just curious.
Thanks in advance
Trentus
Tony Smith
> I'm hoping to never have to set one off)
>
pick up an aircraft for a third party to deliver it to a maintenance centre
for a long term rebuild. As with a number of these jobs I did, the aircraft
was far from perfect, just enough working to get a dispensation for a ferry
flight.
I always carried both a portable satellite and a personal VHF EPIRB with
me. When I arrived at Sydney Airport there was some delay in baggage
retrieval and eventually I was called to the Ansett desk where I was met by
a number of senior Ansett ground staff and two unhappy looking CAA staff.
Apparently the VHF EPIRB triggered at Brisbane (where I changed flights) and
was traced over the flightpath of the Ansett plane and then finally isolated
to my bag at Sydney airport.
There was talk of a number of things including some form of sanction for the
false triggering until I pointed out that the manual arming trigger on the
EPIRB still had an intact seal and that in fact it had impact triggered (as
it was designed to do). After I enquired as to whether or not Ansett
routinely subjected its passenger's luggage to 50g shocks (the requirement
to impact trigger the dam thing) there was suddenly a lot of foot shuffling
and general disinterest in pursuing the matter further.
Still not bad to pinpoint one plane and isolate down to a particular bag in
the time period, it gave me some confidence that if I ever had to use the
things for real help would come running.
Tony Smith
467WC
Well, Trentus, it's normally your underpants that end up paying.
----------------------------------------------------
Compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission, hypocrisy, brutality,
the elite.... All of which are American dreams......
ant
news:newscache$0axj5h$b01$1...@news.tonsyl.org...
> and that in fact it had impact triggered (as
> it was designed to do). After I enquired as to whether or not Ansett
> routinely subjected its passenger's luggage to 50g shocks (the requirement
> to impact trigger the dam thing) there was suddenly a lot of foot
shuffling
> and general disinterest in pursuing the matter further.
I watched them unload a plane from the new upstairs bar at the canberra
airport some years ago. They got the tractor-trolley thing and positioned it
under the luggage hatch. Opened hatch and the bloke sprang out of the way. A
few bags dropped out onto the trolley and the tarmac. Bloke climbed back up
and prodded vigorously in the luggage hold with a stick, then jumped out of
the way as bags cascaded out and bounced all over the place.
I don't think they'd got used to the bar having a view of that area...
ant
John Henderson
This area is a complete "can of worms". The police (state
governments) have ultimate responsibility for land-based SAR in
Australia. They also operate under a broad obligation to protect
members of the public.
But AUSSAR (federal government - part of AMSA) has responsibility
for the COSPAS/SARSAT system which monitors and responds (at
least initially) to EPIRBs. So AUSSAR is likely to be the
intimately involved in the billing process.
Other agencies (like National Parks) could become involved in
searches and paying costs.
Depending on the circumstances, any of these agencies might be
justified in recovering costs from the rescuee (and might have an
obligation to taxpayers to do so). The police would usually have
a major role in recommending cost-recovery. The circumstances
would be most important, as you suggest.
And because many EPIRB-related incidents are "Medivacs", you
might be expected to have ambulance cover. This is cheap (and
free and automatic to Health Care Card holders in some states).
Basically then, in cases of genuine emergency (strictly defined
as "grave and imminent danger", but usually more relaxed than
that), a government agency or health insurance fund is likely to
end up with the bill. Otherwise, the rescuee might end up
"contributing".
There's a standing joke among SAR professionals about winching a
credit card authorisation down for completion before one gets
rescued. Thankfully, it hasn't come to that yet.
John
David Springthorpe
wrote:
>Maybe we should take up sailing...
Don't laugh - might have to if the drough don't break.....
D.S.
David Springthorpe
>Well, Trentus, it's normally your underpants that end up paying
An obsession is beginning to reveal itself, methinks.....
D.S.
Wise's Wilderness
Geoff Wise
Wise's Wilderness
http://www.wises.com.au
Excuse the hotmail email address, too much junk mail.
"John Henderson" <jhenDELET...@bigpond.com> wrote in message
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Jamieson
you.
If it's frivilous then it could be a different matter.
In the case of an injury and a medivac is required then you will certainly
face a charge (most likely on a per kilometre basis to the hospital used).
That's why it is a good idea to have some sort of insurance cover, be it via
a club or through private health insurance.
I'm like you, hope like hell I never have to set it off.
Cheers
Roy
"Trentus" <The_S...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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Ken
who has a valid medical reason or is lost that they have never charged. A
valid medical reason seems to be anything that stops a person from
continuing a walk. However they prefer that if it isn't an emergency that
someone walks out and contacts them by phone. They also haven't charged for
accidental use. If the EPIRB is set of for a frivilous reason they do
charge.
If instead of using the helicopter an ambulance is used instead then you
will be charged.
Ken
"Jamieson" <@x.com> wrote in message
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PT
charging for SAR operations then the fear is that someone in trouble will
delay their call for help until the situation really is serious, when it
might have been better to call before the weather deteriorated, or when
there was still daylight.
Imagine making that judgement in a boarderline situation, wondering if you
are going to be charged for the call. Then the situation deteriorates and
you wish you had tripped the EPIRB earlier.
I believe that the SAR authorities are better off to let the offender off
with a stern telling off and wear the cost of the operation than they are to
risk someone delaying a genuine activation, making the evacuation possibly
more difficult and expensive.
"Jamieson" <@x.com> wrote in message
news:6mMA9.1575$S5.9...@nasal.pacific.net.au...
Trentus
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If there's any water to sail on
Trentus
Trentus
news:aqvf65$e27cv$1...@ID-83062.news.dfncis.de...
Wow, thank you for a very informative and knowledgeable answer.
Much appreciated.
Trentus