It’s hard to believe: Tyrol’s mountain rescuers not only sacrifice their free time on a voluntary basis to cope with the record number of missions. They also have to pay for a large part of their men’s equipment out of their own pockets!
As reported, the number of operations of the Tyrolean Mountain Rescue Service has reached unprecedented heights this summer. At the same time, this means that the volunteers have had to take and continue to take countless vacation days to help people in mountain distress. They miss these when it comes to recovering and spending time with their families.
Financing from your own pocket
But that’s not all: when the mountain rescuers are on duty – summer or winter – they wear functional clothing, which they largely have to finance out of their own pockets.
The situation is similar with equipment that serves your own safety, such as a helmet or a climbing harness. The volunteers also have to dig deep into their private pockets for this. “We cannot finance the equipment from our budget,” regrets Ekkehard Wimmer, the new regional manager of the Tyrolean Mountain Rescue Service.
However, this is not ‘compensation’ in the true sense of the word. The mountain rescue service has agreements with several manufacturers from whom rescue services can buy cheaper. This means that the helpers do not pay the full price for their “work uniform”.
There are special regulations for selected equipment that is essential to the operation. “We can buy some products cheaply and pass on the associated discounts to the mountain rescuers,” says Wimmer. There is also a 20 percent state funding.
Equipment can be used privately
Of course: functional clothing, helmet, harness, skis, touring skins, avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel, crampons – despite financing and discounts, this amounts to a tidy sum for any mountain rescuer. In any case, you can also use the equipment privately.
Public funding?
“Our mountain rescuers spend a lot of free time, holidays and time with their families. To compensate for this, the equipment should at least be free,” says state manager Ekkehard Wimmer. Appropriate public funding could help here.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
