We rescue people because it is the right thing to do. If it's about the money, then they can be asked to pay the state back.
And, they are. I believe that's SOP.
"We rescue people because it is the right thing to do."
I'm a volunteer firefighter/EMT and this comment struck home for me. We don't ask how people hurt themselves, why they crashed their car, or if they carelessly started their homes on fire. Despite my strong views of personal responsibility and accountability, there's a time and place when we need to reach out as human beings to those in true need, unconditionally and unquestioningly. Making them pay up later is fine, but the first thing we need to do is reach out. If the media flogs these stories to death, it's not the victims' fault.