I'm a Captain at local volunteer EMS agency and I'm frustrated with the fact that I deal with outdated equipment, work on the shoe string budget that usually means that I have enough money for gas and nrbs and have no funding for better training and tools but over the years we all learn to make with what we have. But it would be nice to be able to bill somebody for rescue effort not to get paid but to apply the money towards better gear and training. I still believe that hitting somebody in the wallet for stupidty is the best detterment from happening again.

Example not SAR related:
I have this guy that I used to pick up on regular bases for heroin overdose. He gets high and passes out. I show up and do my deed and bring him back and drop him at the ER. Everytime I bring him in he gets a close to a $1000 bus ride. Never paid a dime. He has a $600 cellphone but can't pay the ambulance bill. One day his cellphone accidently fell and got run over by the ambulance. He was crying about the cellphone so we told him that it happens. He went out and bought a new one. Next week when we were carrying him out one of the cops in custody of his belongings slipped and dropped his cellphone and wallet in the drain. Cellphone was shot. Guy went out and bought a new phone. Next time I picked him up he ODed outside during rain storm and his cellphone got wet again. He got out and bought another one. Guess what happnened next time? We picked him up and this time somebody worked him over and his cellphone was gone. He went out and bought another one. In period of a month just ambulance rides costed him close to $4000 without counting hosp stays. His cellphones costed him about $2400. He never paid his hosp bills but he paid for his cellphones. He was my regular for 2 years and I havent had his since June yet I see him on the streets. Quite honsetly I do believe that it finally got him where he had to pay out of his own pocket for his stupidity. Apply the same equation to SAR. Upon showing neglect charge them for fuel, men hours, equipment, wear and tear and most likely it will not happen again.