# Get Yer' Colorado Search and Rescue Card!



## paddlebizzle (Oct 15, 2003)

The Vallecito rescue incident convinced us to put out a reminder to get a Colo Search and Rescue card. They're $3.00/year or $12.00 for 5 years.

This is a must for the river, plus the mountain bikers, backcountry skiers, fly-fisherman, and for hiking/camping. 

It wouldn't take much in the wilderness to create a hairy situation, and a rescue without the card is really expensive.

Here's the link - get one!
https://dola.colorado.gov/corsar_order/order


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## rockinRio (Jul 3, 2006)

Do you have to be a resident of Colorado to participate. I couldn't find any requirements on the Colorado S&R website.

Edit...

I found it:

*Why Buy a CORSAR Card?*
Colorado residents and visitors are well served by dedicated volunteer search and rescue teams, but mission costs are often in the thousands of dollars. By purchasing a CORSAR card you are contributing to the Search and Rescue Fund, which will reimburse these teams for costs incurred in your search and rescue. Funds remaining at the end of the year are used to help pay for training and equipment for these teams. Anyone with a current hunting/fishing license, or boat, snowmobile, ATV registration is already covered by the fund.


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## catwoman (Jun 22, 2009)

I just recently became aware that COSAR cards do not cover air transport, just FYI. You can still get an ugly bill if the helocopter shows up.


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## liquidchaos (Jul 11, 2005)

The CORSAR card does not pay for an air ambulance, as it would not pay for a ground ambulance if you were in a car accident. The majority of helicopters used in SAR are goverment if they are available and in the vicinity. If medical support is needed immediatly they will use a medical helicopter, if it is a search or in a precarious situation a military helicopter will most likely be used. The point is: THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE. Unless there is illegal activity involved. Be safe out there!


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## liquidchaos (Jul 11, 2005)

For you crackbook people...

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## basil (Nov 20, 2005)

I got to disagree with the idea of no charge for search and rescue. Money and good will does not grow on trees. You are responsible for yourself. 

The COSAR card is a great way to deal with this.


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## Ture (Apr 12, 2004)

I was under the impression that the CORSAR card doesn't buy anything. I got one this summer but I thought that it was just a donation to CORSAR and is akin to buying one of those "I love cops so I bought this cops association sticker" stickers to put on your back window in hopes that kissing their ass will get you out of a ticket.

But... maybe I am mistaken.


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## bobw (Mar 13, 2007)

The COSAR fund enables SAR teams to recover costs associated with rescue missions. It will not pay for an air ambulance but if we use a private helicopter for search or transport it may cover this expense. It's worth the small cost to help offset the costs of running an all volunteer organization. SAR teams seems to be the bastard child of emergency services, we don't get much public funding. Most of our operating expenses are paid for by private donations, COSAR helps. Search and rescue is free!


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## ZGjethro (Apr 10, 2008)

basil said:


> I got to disagree with the idea of no charge for search and rescue. Money and good will does not grow on trees. You are responsible for yourself.
> 
> The COSAR card is a great way to deal with this.


It is true that one should be responsible for themselves, but I would hate to see someone die because they were in a bad situation and did not call for SAR because they felt the rescue bill could be to large. I buy hunting licenses and several OHV registrations each year, of which a small percentage goes to the rescue fund. This fund reimburses SAR, even though many organizations do not try to collect from the people they help. It is a great and affordable program. Use it.


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## paddlebizzle (Oct 15, 2003)

Not sure why there is so much debate. You help fund search and rescue, and it covers costs if you get caught in a jam. It may not cover the cost of a bird, but if it's comin' for you, I'm pretty sure that the cost is the last thing on your mind...

It's $3 friggin' dollars a year - that's just over the price of a gallon of gas.


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## zipbak (Dec 3, 2007)

To Be clear:
The COSAR card is not insurance and doesn't get the person rescued anything except goodwill. If you have a hunting or fishing license or have a registered OHV, you pay a small amount into a Search and Rescue fund. If you don't have one of these things, you can buy COSAR card (sometimes called a hiking license). This fee goes to a DOLA (Dept. Of Local Affairs) fund from which SARs--almost all self funded all volunteer organizations--may apply for reimbursement of expenses of a mission--like gas, bandages etc. The individuals who spend the money may be reimbursed for some or all of their out of pocket expenses depending on a bunch of criteria. Any money left over in the fund is distributed via grants to applying SARs for things like first aid training for members etc. In the end, it is the Sheriff of any county who is on the hook for stuff like choppers. Sometimes,an individual's insurance can cover something like flight for life as a ground ambulance may be covered--or not. The "Rescue" part of SAR is getting the poor SOB who needs help to more advanced care which would be an ambulance, or Flight for life, or maybe the bar.
The Sheriff may try to charge a rescued individual if the individual were a jerk and deserve to be smacked financially. That almost never happens.
For three bucks, just buy a card just to support the fund and hope to whoever you never have to use it


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## slavetotheflyrod (Sep 2, 2009)

I've got a question - at the bottom of my fishing/hunting license, there's a .50 search and rescue surcharge. Does this money go into the same pot, and provide for the same benefits as the $3 card?


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## zipbak (Dec 3, 2007)

Yes and Yes
Yes it goes into the same pot and
yes it provides the same benefits as the $3. card. 
No need to get a COSAR card if you have a fishing or hunting license.


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## Steep Shots (Jan 31, 2010)

When I lived in Idaho, you could pay $25 a year or so and it would cover you if you needed to get airvaced out. Does Colorado have anything comparable?


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## slavetotheflyrod (Sep 2, 2009)

I'm gonna look through my health insurance info and see if that's a covered expense, I know ambulance transport is, I wonder if the same goes for a helo ride.


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## zipbak (Dec 3, 2007)

I bought "diver's insurance" a couple of years ago. It covered evac from water based incidents. I got it for the Grand. $25. per year. Try www.DiversSecurity.com Never used it so I don't know exactly how useful they'd be for whitewater stuff. Their web site does mention something about coverage for "ambulence". Hope they pay out better than they can spell.
All I know is that the COSAR card is not insurance.


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