Oregon SAR Task For Report Presented Today

[SeattleSarge]

Today, Oregon Governor Kulongoski received a report from the SAR Task Force he appointed in January.

The report, maintained that the primary responsibility of search and rescue should remain under the jurisdiction of the local sheriffs, and included a set of fifteen recommendations primarily focused on four areas: command and control, communications, training and resources.

The report can be found at:
http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/pdf/reportsr.pdf


-Ron Kruml

Ronald G. Kruml, TSgt, CAP
Public Affairs - Mission Aircrewman
Seattle Composite Squadron PCR-WA-018
http://www.capseattlesquadron.org

[RiverAux]

And this is the key problem that affects CAP since we are most often involved in those searches involving multiple counties:

Multi-Jurisdictional Searches
The lack of specific statutory guidance and practical implementation of command and control inhibits the efficient utilization of resources of large multi- jurisdictional search efforts. Many SAR efforts span more than one county or local jurisdiction, either because the missing party's location has not been narrowed to a specific county, or because the circumstances of the incident draw from more than one local jurisdiction, i.e., city police, county sheriff, local fire district, Oregon State Police, etc.

TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS
Amend 401.560 to Address Multi-jurisdiction Searches
1) The Task Force recommends that ORS 401.560 be amended to provide guidance in multi-jurisdictional searches in the following manner: when search and rescue resources are deployed and the search area involves more than one jurisdiction, then one sheriff, or their authorized designee, shall assume command, or the jurisdictions shall form a unified command, as outlined in the National Incident Management System. If one particular sheriff or regional council does not take or authorize command of the incident, by default the sheriff's office that received the call first will be in charge of the search. 

And, somewhat related to CAP

Revitalize Aviation SAR Account[/b]
11) Revitalize and/or reconstitute the Aviation Search and Rescue Account, created by statute in ORS 837.035 for use in air search and rescue and reimbursement of SAR volunteers. The Department of Aviation is authorized to collect pilot registration fees which are deposited into the Aviation Search and Rescue Account. The Task Force learned that this fee is not actively collected, thus diminishing the funds that OEM has available to support and reimburse for air SAR expenses. The Department of Aviation should be directed to enforce the
statute to raise revenue for the Aviation SAR account.

Require Proof of Pilot Insurance for Volunteer Pilots
13) In order to guarantee the safety and financial security of volunteer pilots, county sheriffs should require that volunteer pilots provide proof of insurance that is acceptable to the sheriff before being deployed on a SAR mission.

And finally, note the sheer number of SAR missions that potentially could involve CAP in Appendix A. 
2006
Missing motor vehicles: 69
Hiking: 87
Wandering: 50
non-motorized boats: 43

There are plenty of potential local SAR missions if CAP works hard enough with the locals to make sure they know what we can do, and especially if we don't gripe about not getting called (as some OR CAPPERs did recently in the press).

[Psicorp]

Revitalize Aviation SAR Account[/b]
11) Revitalize and/or reconstitute the Aviation Search and Rescue Account, created by statute in ORS 837.035 for use in air search and rescue and reimbursement of SAR volunteers. The Department of Aviation is authorized to collect pilot registration fees which are deposited into the Aviation Search and Rescue Account. The Task Force learned that this fee is not actively collected, thus diminishing the funds that OEM has available to support and reimburse for air SAR expenses. The Department of Aviation should be directed to enforce the
statute to raise revenue for the Aviation SAR account.

I wonder how much that would add up to for an organization like ours.

[Al Sayre]

$0...   The states don't have the right to issue "pilot registrations", that's the FAA's sole baliwick, and the AOPA will probably file a lawsuit if they try.  Now if they want to put a few cents on a gallon of avgas there probably isn't much anyone could say...  And even if they did collect it we probably wouldn't see it since we are already re-imbursed by the USAF.

[JohnKachenmeister]

$0...   The states don't have the right to issue "pilot registrations", that's the FAA's sole baliwick, and the AOPA will probably file a lawsuit if they try.  Now if they want to put a few cents on a gallon of avgas there probably isn't much anyone could say...  And even if they did collect it we probably wouldn't see it since we are already re-imbursed by the USAF.

We still have the potential of Title 36 operations, funded by the state.  This would be a rare situation though, I think.

[DNall]

$0...   The states don't have the right to issue "pilot registrations", that's the FAA's sole baliwick, and the AOPA will probably file a lawsuit if they try.  Now if they want to put a few cents on a gallon of avgas there probably isn't much anyone could say...  And even if they did collect it we probably wouldn't see it since we are already re-imbursed by the USAF.

Which is I'm guessing why they stopped charging it before. Landing fees are an option also.

More likely the state is going to have to put some money in the acct. Soon after they do that is a good time to explain $5000/hr helo time plus crew versus a CAP 182.

[RiverAux]

I strongly suspect they are talking about registration fees for the airplanes themselves rather than the pilots. 

[DNall]

That's the FAA. States can regulate fuel sales to an extent (though you can't exactly call it a road tax), and public owned airports (landing fees), to a lesser extent private fields. Maybe a hangering tax or something. Really, this isn't the best way for them to try to fund this.

[RiverAux]

Well, I know Louisiana, Michigan and Mississippi require aircraft to be registered with the state and I know that Minnesota must tax aircraft registration because they've got a law that exempts CAP from such tax though they're still required to register. 

[DNall]

Well I don't really kow for sure, but I sure thought it was a federal thing & that's states overstepping their bounds.

[Psicorp]

Well, I know Louisiana, Michigan and Mississippi require aircraft to be registered with the state and I know that Minnesota must tax aircraft registration because they've got a law that exempts CAP from such tax though they're still required to register. 

Michigan's Governor hasn't seen a tax proposal she didn't like, so that doesn't surprise me.   Louisiana and Mississippi are also two states which are perpetually in need of funds.

[sardak]

Oregon charge pilots an annual registration fee of $8, in addition to requiring registration fees on aircraft.
"Every pilot operating within Oregon must present a federal certificate of competency and state certificate of registration upon demand."

A Google search on "aircraft registration fees" finds most states have registration fees for aircraft.  Planes are treated just like motor vehicles.   From Iowa, for instance:

If I register my aircraft with the FAA, do I still need to register it in Iowa?

Yes. Registering your aircraft with the FAA does not meet your obligation to register it in Iowa.

Arizona exempts government owned aircraft, including CAP, from paying a registration fee, but the aircraft must still be registered.  If not, there is a penalty fee, charged monthly, for not being registered.

In Rhode Island, AOPA backed aircraft registration fees, because the money would be used to improve airports.

Since this thread applies to Oregon, here are its fees (not much):
Single engine fixed wing     $50
Multiengine fixed wing, piston     $75
Multiengine fixed wing, turboprop     $100
Turbojet fixed wing     $162
Helicopter piston engine     $50
Helicopter turbine engine     $100
Lighter than air, home built, sailplane or gyrocopter  $37
Ultralight aircraft     $25
Ex-military multiengine or turbojet/ex-air carrier   $187

Mike