This week, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Utah Deptartment of Public Safety announced the availability of the Utah Search and Rescue Assistance (USARA) Card. USARA helps fund search and rescue efforts and protects outdoor enthusiasts from expensive non-medical search and rescue costs. According to a press release, the USARA card is another piece of “safety equipment” tfor you to take into the backcountry that provides you and your family with peace of mind. Both Utah residents and out-of-state visitors alike can purchase the card.
According to USARA, recent numbers show that more than 1,400 people are rescued by search and rescue team efforts each year, costing Utah communities thousands of dollars in equipment, training and personnel. In most cases, rescues are relatively straightforward affairs, but some incidents quickly become complicated and technically challenging, entailing expensive ground and air searches or helicopter evacuations. In Grand County, for example, the average cost of a rescue is about $2,000, but the most expensive rescue missions can exceed tens of thousands of dollars. High-cost rescues can severely strain the small tax bases of gateway communities, some of which may see an average of 100 rescues a year.
The lack of funding to pay for search and rescue has unfortunately forced some hard-hit counties to back-bill and charge rescue victims for the costs of their rescue. To the victim, these back-bill charges can be a nasty surprise after the trauma and anxiety of a backcountry incident.
The USARA card allows backcountry recreationists to contribute to search and rescue efforts while eliminating liability to repay associated costs. The program has been priced for value with a one-year individual subscription at $25 and just $35 for a family. A five year subscription gives the purchaser a 20 percent discount ($100 for an individual plan and $140 for a family plan.)
The money from your purchase of a USARA Card provides financial support to county sheriffs’ offices throughout the state. In 2015, county search and rescue teams performed nearly 40,000 hours of Search and Rescue work. While the fund does not reimburse the volunteer SAR teams and paid personnel for their time, it does ensure that the search and rescue teams will have the training and equipment needed to perform the rescues safely.
For anyone who recreates outdoors, this card is pretty much a no-brainer. It not only helps fund the rescue crews who risk their lives to save those of us who get into a bad situation, but it could also lower the cost of your own rescue should you ever need it.
To purchase your USARA Card, go to https://secure.utah.gov/rescue