Don't get hurt at ASC or the Farm

[pilotdave 0]

...or really don't land in a tree...

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=728&NewsID=632797&CategoryID=3481&show=localnews&om=0

$750 charge for emergency services related to skydiving. As if the dropzone politics didn't make skydiving there disgusing enough...

Dave

[Sheenster303 0]

I paid out about $550 to the Polk County EMS. Right now, I think the flat fee is around $250 and it takes 25 miles to get to Floyd Medical Center, which is where the majority of pretty bad injuries go.

I feel bad for whoever breaks themselves after this becomes effective. Paying for the ambulance is already bad enough.

I'm so funny I crack my head open!

P.M.S. #102

[Icon134 0]

I suppose that is one of the only advantages to being owned by the government...

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[kelpdiver 2]

I understand why the lawyer said you could charge for assistance not requiring transportation. It's a bit fuzzier to me on the ability to charge a fee based on the activity being done, rather than the assistance required.

[Brains 2]

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I understand why the lawyer said you could charge for assistance not requiring transportation. It's a bit fuzzier to me on the ability to charge a fee based on the activity being done, rather than the assistance required.

I thought the same thing. Do they have a separate "traffic accident" fee and a "waterpark" fee??

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[skinnyshrek 0]

So if its not skydiving related then its ok..Well, just take the gear off and tell them they fell from a tree

http://www.skydivethefarm.com

do you realize that when you critisize people you dont know over the internet, you become part of a growing society of twats? ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?

[kelel01 1]

Well, given the number of incidents there, I can't say I'm surprised. Not saying that it's right, but you know that skydiving incidents had to hit a certain volume and take a certain amount of the county's money for them to take notice.

[LuvToFly 0]

Quote

...or really don't land in a tree...

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=728&NewsID=632797&CategoryID=3481&show=localnews&om=0

$750 charge for emergency services related to skydiving. As if the dropzone politics didn't make skydiving there disgusing enough...

Dave

What a bunch of crap. It should not matter how someone hurts themselves or what kind of bind they get into as it relates to extra charges. If that was the case, let's start charging for every fire or police department call that get's a cat out of a tree, or looks for lost child in a department store. It's a penalty charge against skydivers because it is not a charge applied equitably against other sports and incidents? The fact that it is not applied this way wreaks of skydiving predudice big-time.

These folks are being paid for doing a job during their shift. What difference should it make whether they are fishing a skydiver out of a tree, or a kid that climbed up and can't get themselves down.

If I were in that county, I'd insist that charges be applied equitably to all kind of incidents, or get rid of this one. And if neither, get rid of the commissioner in question -

"The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment
of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

I have to love a news article that doesn't seek comment from all parties involved in an issue -- or at least one person from each side!

Was no one from the skydiving groups available or willing to comment? Usually a news story would say that they were contacted and had nothing to say. When there is no such disclaimer, I have to wonder if the reporters did their goddamned jobs.

I was a journalism minor: this is crap journalism.

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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I understand why the lawyer said you could charge for assistance not requiring transportation. It's a bit fuzzier to me on the ability to charge a fee based on the activity being done, rather than the assistance required.

Can you say, "Shameless fuckin' money grab," boys and girls?

Kelpie, you're absolutely right. What the hell difference does it make how you got yourself injured?

Should they charge more to treat a heart attack victim because he ate too much McDonald's and his fat ass got him ill, than they do some jogger who had some hidden heart disease but was in good shape? Even if they give the two patients the same care?

This is what something of this nature opens the door to. Why can't people see it?

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[kelpdiver 2]

Fortunately, usually the rescue personnel oppose such practices. The Coast Guard doesn't want people afraid to radio for help because delaying makes the rescue more dangerous. Same for mountain S&R.

The result of this will be people climbing down from trees and power lines by themselves, and likely will lead to more serious injuries. It's bad social policy.

So what lead up to this? How many rescues per year are we talking about? Are they highly preventable accidents (more so than the norm)? If it's an undue burden, should the DZ communities in question be paying into the system? Ranier climbers pay a summit fee that covers S&R. Whitney climbers are shown a video indicating that they will be paying X$ for a helicoptor rescue at 14,000. But in those cases, they are the only customers of the services.

Are these DZs not well regarded within the community? From a politics standpoint, these fees are easy to implement on outliers. I can't imagine Lake Elsinore ever putting in such a policy. (Doesn't hurt that most EMS calls go to the dirt track instead)

[ninjaswooper 0]

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Well, given the number of incidents there, I can't say I'm surprised. Not saying that it's right, but you know that skydiving incidents had to hit a certain volume and take a certain amount of the county's money for them to take notice.

Kelly, I know you personally and I'm really ashamed of you for having said that. I can guarantee you skydivers are not responsible for nearly as much use of emergency services as cars wrecks, or forest fires, etc.. Anyway, skydiving at both ASC and the farm brings in plenty of tax revenue to Polk county that would otherwise not exist. Anyway, you're not saying it's right so I best not get rambling.

[slug 1]

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Well, given the number of incidents there, I can't say I'm surprised. Not saying that it's right, but you know that skydiving incidents had to hit a certain volume and take a certain amount of the county's money for them to take notice.

Our local Fire dept keeps stats on their activities, and which are even posted in the weekly local paper.

Since your a home girl Any chance of coming up with the stats from the locals on the number of EMS calls to the local DZ's vs "other" for last year?

I think without objective info this thread will just turn into a pissing contest.

The local EMS here are starting to charge for repeat false alarms for fire and intrusion detectors.

R.I.P.

R.I.P.

[EDYDO 0]

The article leaves some things unsaid and that makes a difference. It is stated that it is only for calls that do not require transportation to a medical facility.

It may be time for USPA to get involved since skydiving is singled out. That is clearly wrong.

With that said, perhaps we should bear more responsibility for getting ourselves out of trees, just don't call the government.

This is essentially a user fee and user fees sound pretty fair until you realize that taxes formerly paid for the service and when the user fee is implemented, the tax stays as well!!!

Ed

[tombuch 0]

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I have to love a news article that doesn't seek comment from all parties involved in an issue -- or at least one person from each side!

Was no one from the skydiving groups available or willing to comment? Usually a news story would say that they were contacted and had nothing to say. When there is no such disclaimer, I have to wonder if the reporters did their goddamned jobs.

I was a journalism minor: this is crap journalism.

I disagree with your assessment. This is a basic meeting story that details what happened at the Board of Commissioners meeting. All the comments came from that meeting. It would not be appropriate to seek comments from people or organizations that were not in attendance, and to then include them in this specific story.

It is appropriate for the newspaper to do a follow-up story about this specific action, and that story (if done) should include comments from the skydiving operator.

With that said, the concept of a charge for a specific activity seems discriminatory. It may be that other activities or locations are "off the grid" and charged extra fees, but that isn't mentioned in this coverage.
.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[pilotdave 0]

I'd love to know how many skydivers get helped out of trees in that county compared to cats. If there was a $750 fee for the fire department to help get a cat out of a tree, you'd see old ladies throwing rocks to knock em down...

Dave

[Hans 0]

I was told by the director of Polk County EMS that tree landings at the dropzone located at airport have caused them to use Cobb and Bartow County Fire and Rescue trucks. Cobb and Bartow are threatening to back charge Polk County for these incidents.

The Farm

[skinnyshrek 0]

Well, learn to fly your canopy hans and we won't have these issues.....

http://www.skydivethefarm.com

do you realize that when you critisize people you dont know over the internet, you become part of a growing society of twats? ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?

[ninjaswooper 0]

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I'd love to know how many skydivers get helped out of trees in that county compared to cats. If there was a $750 fee for the fire department to help get a cat out of a tree, you'd see old ladies throwing rocks to knock em down...

Dave

Ya know, they've been called only once in the past 2 years by one dz for tree landings... Not sure about the other but I haven't heard any stories... Not that there's only been one tree landing, but after the last time when the Polk County officials weren't able to help, we learned how to do it ourselves.

[ninjaswooper 0]

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I was told by the director of Polk County EMS that tree landings at the dropzone located at airport have caused them to use Cobb and Bartow County Fire and Rescue trucks. Cobb and Bartow are threatening to back charge Polk County for these incidents.

Like I said, only once in the past 2 years... after the once, we took matters into our own hands... I mean, who wants to see a girl hanging in a tree for a few hours on national TV?

[2fat2fly 0]

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I'd love to know how many skydivers get helped out of trees in that county compared to cats. If there was a $750 fee for the fire department to help get a cat out of a tree, you'd see old ladies throwing rocks to knock em down...

Dave

I have to say that when I was in the fire service, we didn't rescue cats. We got a few calls (very rarely) and I explained the cost involved versus the the lack of danger to the cat adn most people were good about it. Lacking that, I always told them that the cat would come down when hungry-I've never seen a cat skeleton in a tree. Off of that tangent, it is , #1 the perception that we choose to endanger ourselves, which can be addressed with public education about our sport and #2 the county probably feels that most of the people that are being treated are from out of county and not contributing to the tax base. I'm not saying that it's right or that it's not descriminitory-but that is what I feel was the justification.

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[kelel01 1]

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Anyway, skydiving at both ASC and the farm brings in plenty of tax revenue to Polk county that would otherwise not exist.

That's a good point that I didn't consider. And of course, ALL other accidents combined probably account for more tax dollars. I'm just saying that they probably looked at the volume and thought, "This is costing us A LOT of money".

[Icon134 0]

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#2 the county probably feels that most of the people that are being treated are from out of county and not contributing to the tax base.

Of course they are... the majority of people that jump may be from out of county but they are still generating tax revenue... through eating in the area, buying fuel (both Jet-A, and Auto fuel), not to mention the property/any other business related taxes paid by the two DZs w/in the county...

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[dorbie 0]

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I'd love to know how many skydivers get helped out of trees in that county compared to cats. If there was a $750 fee for the fire department to help get a cat out of a tree, you'd see old ladies throwing rocks to knock em down...

You have my permission to throw rocks at me to knock me out of a tree if it saves me $750.

[ninjaswooper 0]

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Quote

#2 the county probably feels that most of the people that are being treated are from out of county and not contributing to the tax base.

Of course they are... the majority of people that jump may be from out of county but they are still generating tax revenue... through eating in the area, buying fuel (both Jet-A, and Auto fuel), not to mention the property/any other business related taxes paid by the two DZs w/in the county...

My thoughts exactly, and generally speaking for someone analyzing the economic impact of a locality, it's better to get revenues from out of towners... That way the government gets the money, but in most cases shells out very little to nothing in the way of services for those out of towners.