"There's no such thing as a free lunch in social welfare." Recently, a hiker who was ascending Yuanduozhi Mountain in Heping District suffered from a swollen and immobile ankle. The Taichung City Fire Department dispatched a helicopter for the rescue, but it was later discovered that the hiker was still able to walk, sparking public controversy. The Taichung City Government plans to formulate the "Taichung City Mountaineering Activity Management Self-Government Ordinance," aiming to reduce the waste of national rescue resources by regulating hikers' climbing times and mandating insurance.
Fire Bureau Chief Hsiao Huan-chang stated that the "Taichung City Mountaineering Activity Management Self-Government Ordinance" will stipulate that those applying for mountain and park entry permits according to the law must carry satellite positioning and communication equipment. Hikers should be prepared for self-rescue, and team leaders should possess basic first aid skills. Permits will no longer be issued when a typhoon is approaching, and those already in the mountains will be required to descend in advance to prevent rescue personnel from carrying out search and rescue missions under harsh weather and environmental conditions, risking their lives.
Additionally, he pointed out that government resources are limited. Through the self-government ordinance, a mountaineering insurance system will be established. This insurance mechanism will hire more professional mountain rescue personnel to assist in search and rescue tasks and cover expenses such as helicopter dispatches, in order to prevent the public from arbitrarily requesting helicopter rescues and wasting national resources. The mountaineering insurance mechanism will be incorporated into the self-government ordinance, and it is also recommended that the central government amend relevant regulations on mountaineering insurance.
(China Times)