Volunteer Rescue Organisations - Insurance

[SatNav]

1. Insurance hikes, which in some organisations is already starting to bite, badly, will eventually have an adverse affect on the effectivness of volunteer rescue organisations (Coastguard, VMR etc) to properly perfom their volunteer roles, which in many instances is tasked with saving the pants of boaties who by incompetence, inexperience, negligence or exceeding their own or their vessels capabilities continue to put the lives of volunteers at risk.

2. At the risk of loosing or downgrading these types of volunteer services due to increasing costs, individuals and their own insurance companies should confront these costs via their own insurance then insurance companies can directly target the individuals involved. It is time for a change and this may change the approach and quite a few attitudes?

3. Why should volunteers have to sell chook raffles to provide assistance to many who have a non caring and inappropriate attitude and in many cases demand/expect a service?

[ozscott]

1. SatNav - can you expand on your plan for para 2.

2. Are only people being rescued the incompetent and uncaring?

3. Cheers

[lethal098]

Wouldnt be such an issue if the people that were getting assisted actually covered the costs of being rescued!!

[Jarrah Jack]

Sat Nav ,,,is this another chest beating exercise in futility?

[SatNav]

2. Are only people being rescued the incompetent and uncaring?

2a. No but typically they will require 95% of the resources and cost and will be the types who basically bludge on the volunteer organisations.

"Wouldnt be such an issue if the people that were getting assisted actually covered the costs of being rescued!!"

1. Yes point exactly, accept the responsibility and accept the actual full costs, not some 50 buck donation to cover 500 bucks worth of fuel let alone the other costs involved. Some people are simply petty but next week wouldn't blink twice about splashin out on a 500 buck rod.

2. If you require assistance regardless your insurance pays, your insurance then pumps up your insurance costs and just maybe you become a bit more caring, maybe a bit wiser and maybe a bit smarter when you get hit where it hurts you the most.

3. Oh yeah complusory insurance to cover assistance, no exceptions and with the thought of volunteers not having to waste time selling chooks there might be a few more volunteering, win win

[Muddy Toes]

1. I'm not sure if this is typical but................

2. Once upon a time I owned a Mercury

3. I needed a tow a very long way

4. Before they sent out a rescue boat they asked me over the VHF if I understood that I would incur the entire cost of the rescue.

5. I agreed

6. I got towed home and was given an invoice for the entire amount of fuel used, a maintenance charge, sundry charge and heaps of other small things

7. This totaled quite a fair whack of money plus I donated some money for good measure and was happy to do it

8. Is this not a typical situation for being rescued? Having to pay for everything?

[johncar]

Interestingly and having been in the past a keen VMR member for many years and eventually gravitated to a Skippers position with my own crew and was on a an emergency standby roster and involved in many search and rescue events and all that blah blah, I did however grow weary of assisting who I considered to be in a general sense non caring, reckless and often ungrateful recipients.
It seemed an extreme between the types of people I knew and within the membership who were generally responsible, caring, giving and to varying degree extremely conscientious with their boats maintenance and seaworthiness and I was no different.
All too often and I am certainly not saying in every case but in my experience well over half the people I assisted made me question myself why I invested my time doing what I did. Without going into details some people were just so irresponsible at times I felt like leaving them there.
My original thoughts to join were to assist people just like myself who enjoy time on the water and find themselves needing assistance through unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances but it was rarely such the case. There are of course other events like air and sea disasters where I was prepared to assist at any time but rarely happened.

I just became too disillusioned with the aspect of rescuing or in fact feeling like being a sucker to many non caring types I resigned from my positions but just remained an ordinary member ever since. Others may have had it different, but that was my experience so I pretty much agree with you SatNav.

[Crunchy]

Tahi. My guess is that most on this forum do not fall into the categories of incompetent, inexperienced (or more to the point exceeding their experience level) or negligent but I'm sure those types exist.

Rua. If blokes on here require assistance it would most likely be as a result of bad luck rather than poor planning, skills, ignorance, unneccessary risk taking etc.

Toro. A fair few of us happily pay our membership fees to help out a bit.

Wha. Don't most active members join because they enjoy it?

Cheers
C

[Crunchy]

Interestingly and having been in the past a keen VMR member for many years and eventually gravitated to a Skippers position with my own crew and was on a an emergency standby roster and involved in many search and rescue events and all that blah blah, I did however grow weary of assisting who I considered to be in a general sense non caring, reckless and often ungrateful recipients.
It seemed an extreme between the types of people I knew and within the membership who were generally responsible, caring, giving and to varying degree extremely conscientious with their boats maintenance and seaworthiness and I was no different.
All too often and I am certainly not saying in every case but in my experience well over half the people I assisted made me question myself why I invested my time doing what I did. Without going into details some people were just so irresponsible at times I felt like leaving them there.
My original thoughts to join were to assist people just like myself who enjoy time on the water and find themselves needing assistance through unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances but it was rarely such the case. There are of course other events like air and sea disasters where I was prepared to assist at any time but rarely happened.

I just became too disillusioned with the aspect of rescuing or in fact feeling like being a sucker to many non caring types I resigned from my positions but just remained an ordinary member ever since. Others may have had it different, but that was my experience so I pretty much agree with you SatNav.

But if your in a rescue organisation isn't it logical that the people you mainly need to rescue are indeed the ignorant, inexperienced, incompetent types? And if they have those traits are they not also most likely to be dickheads?

I would though like to say thanks to you blokes you assist people who just happen to have a bit of bad luck despite their best efforts not to need help.

[SatNav]

1. Running out of fuel out of radio range is not bad luck
2. Running in the dark and smashing the gearcase off is not bad luck
3. Fishing all night and not being able to start then engine is not bad luck
4. Lack of maintenance is not bad luck
5. Exceeding ones own ability is not bad luck
6. A boat not fit for purpose is not bad luck
7. These are most common things nothing to do with bad luck..... many more things that are also not bad luck, mostly preventable and due to basically incompetence
8. And if you are happy with bad luck then you should also be happy with covering your own inurance and paying full $

[Muddy Toes]

1.a.iv. In my case the boat had come out of a major service the day before and my brand electronic fuel pump they fitted during the service failed due to a manufacturing fault.

A. Was I careless
B. Was this preventable
C. Did I go out ill prepared
D.Yes
F.No
N.True

[Spaniard_King]

You forgot$$$.. did you replace said anchor with reliable grey snodger :)

[Almako]

Not a bad idea really, cost could be incorporated into registration or insurance, and hopefully create new full time jobs for the boating industry (but probably need to get them from a 457 visa though since we can't find any aussies! hay)
Problem would be i reckon even more people would become complacent, especially around the bay.

We paid $500 bucks going halve's with another boat to get from Tangaloooma to Manly when my boat developed major cracks in the transom thanks to the manufacturer. We didn't even get a tow we just followed, oh but the two girls on board jumped onto the rescue boat, but at the time we were happy to get home safe, and pay our way...
Oh and the manufacturer of the boat begrudgingly fixed it under warranty (boat was 3 months old) and said I was obviously treating it badly around the bay. D**k head.. I'll never buy that brand again. Any way I digress.

Oh and I invoiced the manufacturer the bill and made him cough it up to ;D

[Muddy Toes]

You forgot$$$.. did you replace said anchor with reliable grey snodger :)

I did the best I could with what I had.......Honda didn't have a 300 at the time.

[Boat Hog]

Why in Australia, one of the highest personal taxed countries in the world, do we have volunteer or charity sponsored rescue and fire organisations?!?!?! VMR, Coastguard, Rescue choppers, Rural Fire, SES etc ... That, is the real question.


Apologies for no paragraph or sentence numbering.

Cheers,

[Almako]

Why in Australia, one of the highest personal taxed countries in the world, do we have volunteer or charity sponsored rescue and fire organisations?!?!?! VMR, Coastguard, Rescue choppers, Rural Fire, SES etc ... That, is the real question.


Apologies for no paragraph or sentence numbering.

Cheers,

Good point. Who knows what the government is doing with the money.
I don't follow it that closely but I do know that if your waiting for an operation in a public hospital you will be waiting in pain for a while at the moment.

[Gon Fishun]

Good point. Who knows what the government is doing with the money.
I don't follow it that closely but I do know that if your waiting for an operation in a public hospital you will be waiting in pain for a while at the moment.

You never see a Politician go without.

[thelump]

SatNav are you a volunteer? If so its is time for you to
Eins: Quit that volunteer position
Zwei: Get a life
Drei: Realise that as a volunteer you are there because you enjoy helping people and the community.
Vier: Get a life
Funf:Stop posting in point form
Sechs:Get a life
Sieben: Come to the realisation that there are certain people out there who don't give a f%$#k and YOU will never change this!
Acht: Get a life
Neun: Learn German as it seems like it would suit!

[SatNav]

"Why in Australia, one of the highest personal taxed countries in the world, do we have volunteer or charity sponsored rescue and fire organisations?!?!?! VMR, Coastguard, Rescue choppers, Rural Fire, SES etc ... That, is the real question."

1. Yes that is also a valid question, yes that is a different question, that is a question for another day but right now that is not the current question.

2. There is also no such thing as a free lunch anymore regardless of who is paying the insurance.

[Spaniard_King]

I did the best I could with what I had.......Honda didn't have a 300 at the time.

It wasn't about the Branding it was more about the reliability and the size :)

[thelump]

It wasn't about the Branding it was more about the reliability and the size :)

Just in case you weren't aware Garry

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?192187-Gee-Yamaha-s-are-good :P

[ozscott]

1. SatNav - can you expand on your plan for para 2.

2. Are only people being rescued the incompetent and uncaring?

3. Cheers

2.1 I dont understand your plan. Last time I looked RACQ didnt cover me for breakdown on the water. My house and contents dosnt either...no wheres my professional indemnity policy...wonder if it wil...

[Spaniard_King]

Just in case you weren't aware Garry

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?192187-Gee-Yamaha-s-are-good :P

Oh I am aware, I just don't want to offend the grey army by starting a thread " yamies are good but Hondas are better :)

[trymyluck]

Oh I am aware, I just don't want to offend the grey army by starting a thread " yamies are good but Hondas are better :)


Don't have to Gary, they know their place:hammer:

and have accepted their lot in life...........:earmuffs:

[trymyluck]

What was that Macca, couldn't quite hear ya..........:PYa wish you had a HONDA, feel for you..........;D8-)

[Apollo]

Back to the subject and away from the Honda crowd trying to justify their need for shiny motors instead of accepting reality and going grey.

I am a member of the local rural fire brigade and we cop pretty much the same thing with owners that want a controlled burn done or us to put out their now uncontrolled burn. Despite us putting multiple crews at the fire with several units and often personal gear for up to a day or in some cases days, they will flip a $20 donation to 'cover it'. Unfortunately, some people are like that and get put to the bottom of a list when they next want a burn done or get increased conditions when next seeking a permit.

[ozscott]

Hi Apollo. Mate volunteer work always seems to bring out those who dont recognise that its volunteer and abuse the situation.

I just dont understand what SatNav is on about with the insurance point and wish he would elaborate rather then being his usual cryptic self.

Cheers

[Spaniard_King]

Back to the subject and away from the Honda crowd trying to justify their need for shiny motors instead of accepting reality and going grey.


Your not going to make the yammy boys happy with that dull statement :)

[WalrusLike]

JohnCar.....

Thank you for your time and efforts helping the boating community.

I've been helped by VMR and Coastguard many times....,

They have helped me with radio checks.
They have helped me with log coverage on trips.
They have helped me by monitoring bar crossings. (Only Moololabah and Seaway but all bars can cause problems)
They have helped me by giving me some peace of mind so that my family can come boating and I am not taking them beyond rescue.

Good on you and all the others on here who have been or currently are volunteers. Thanks.




(Using Tapatalk on iPhone so can't easily 'thank' or 'like')