Helicopter Rescue Team needs your help!

A question about who benefits occurs. Would a Snohomish county resource come to my aid were I in a circumstance in King county? Or Pierce, etc? I think the very noble and at times very risky work organizations perform is outstanding. The bigger question may be, are emergency support organizations devised such that funding gets spread across tax bases, federal (???) funding and interested user groups/ communities? Not throwing the question out there to undermine, I'll toss a few dollars into this hat but wondered? Europe knows some things the USA could use, rather than a state park user fee, or my fuel costing more, (which looks inevitable) a modest assessment, direct funding to emergency service, pulled from purchases? Much as I hate to say it, free lunches are getting real hard to find. And there will be more individuals requiring rescue. Guess the social agenda in Washington's politics mean more? Camera technology might be (aaarghh!) a possible answer. When your plate reads at a resort access, a sno-park (yes, alter the fee structure/process) or known B.C. access areas with parking, simply document and fee this on a "next years" licensing cost. Just don't doink us for "general budget" crap. Unreasonable? not sure. Difficult? Not absurd. After all, Amazon believes drones will provide direct delivery of product to your doorstep in the future! Ho Ho Hoooah (and a merry Christmas y, all!).

A question about who benefits occurs. Would a Snohomish county resource come to my aid were I in a circumstance in King county? Or Pierce, etc? I think the very noble and at times very risky work organizations perform is outstanding. The bigger question may be, are emergency support organizations devised such that funding gets spread across tax bases, federal (???) funding and interested user groups/ communities? Not throwing the question out there to undermine, I'll toss a few dollars into this hat but wondered?

This is an interesting question, maybe should be in its own thread? I know Fort Lewis helicopters have been used on Rainier, Navy helicopters on Baker, Tony Reece and his helicopter from Darrington have been used in the North Cascade National Park, not sure what helicopters have been used in King or Chelan counties.

busy at work in the source lake valley today.
b

hi Rippy,
Very interesting questions.  Politically charged one too.  All of us on the team wants to be there for people in need and we are trying to do our part to make sure it continuous that way.

I am from Norway and the air ambulance is funded a little differently there, but it is mostly a community/population effort.

Yes, we do fly many missions in other counties in washington and we also receive help from other counties when needed (helicopter receiving maintenance, etc).

time to get your tickets helicopterrescue.org/fundraiser/

All, On Friday we responded to the Mt. Baker area to rescue a snowmobiler. Check out the video here: vimeo.com/89811812
Yesterday and Today (Sat/Sun) we have been doing hoist rescues at Oso: www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=64877080519...58534&type=2&theater

Please consider joining us for our first ever fundraiser on April 19th in Seattle: helicopterrescue.org/fundraiser/

thanks,
miles

Today's Seattle Times has a riveting account of last Saturday's mudslide on the Stilliguamish River:

seattletimes.com/html/localnews/20232592...idenarrativexml.html

A companion story describes the funding shortfall of the Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team, the first helicopter team to respond at Oso. The story mentions the April 19 fundraiser to be held at The Mountaineers:

seattletimes.com/html/localnews/20232591...opterfundingxml.html

The paper also includes a list of organizations where you can donate to the Oso relief effort now:

seattletimes.com/html/localnews/20232522...idehowtohelpxml.html

Some friends and I took the day off last Friday to go skiing.  We drove Highway 530 twice just hours before the disaster happened.

It angers me to think that we virtually have to hold a bake sale to support a service like the Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team.

But that's the way it is and I'm looking forward to the event on April 19.