Let's see, investigating industrial accidents, crimes, responding to fires, catching illegal immigrants (not that there's anything wrong with being an illegal immigrant), upholding law and order. Maybe that's what they'd be doing ordinarily, but perhaps some calls are not receiving responses because of this rescue op. I don't know.
You're right, you don't know, but you feel better making a stink about the cost of this rescue. Search and rescue is very high on the list of stuff they should be ready willing and skilled at doing. They get skilled by doing exactly what they are doing now. On balance, there are just so many human activities we can be pissed about, mountain climbers and the cost of their occasional rescue is just not on my list.
Breaking up a domestic dispute, pulling stranded cats from trees, investigating Little Johnnie's stolen bicycle, serving a divorce decree, etc.
These are the things they'd more likely be doing were they not on an exciting SAR "coordination" mission.