I was a coastguard for 18 years and as such would either leap over the cliffs or routinely call out other services to facilitate certain types of rescues on the coast around Newquay. In a good year we would have a hundred ‘shouts’ a year, of these there would be some, where members of the public would be drugged or drunk, cut off by the tide, requiring our assistance.
On some occasions, I’ve called out everything. Navy Sea King, Lifeboat(s), flank stations, Police and ambulance. On no occasions would money be the driving factor of a rescue.
Where would you start to formulate a bill for this? If you charge casualties for their treatment in a hospital (self inflicted or not) you will need to charge in all other sectors of the emergency services.
A Sea King would be £10k for just a ‘quickie’, then add on the above list and a rescue alone (before any hospital charges) could easily reach £30,000. It would end up being a total shambles. It would directly impact on future rescues knowing that the person you’re saving is going to be lumped with an enormous bill if you call out that chopper.
If you charge now in A&E drunks and druggies where are they going to get the money? A lot of druggies already commit crime to fuel their habit, hit them with a (say) £300 bill for their treatment, they will have to burgle at least 2 properties to pay it off………no one wins.
I agree with Moggy here, as much as I sympathise with you, I have been involved (from a different angle) and say police the pubs and clubs harder and jail drug traffickers.
Educate the end user.
Charging money won’t work.
Baz
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