This is a good article...
http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1166234137153910.xml?oregonian?yedcsn&coll=7
She makes a good point.
"The odds of survival drop as time passes. This is why counties tend not to charge a fee for rescue services, despite a state law allowing them to do so.
"As far as I know, nobody charges and nobody wants to," says Georges Kleinbaum, the state search and rescue coordinator. If people worry about getting billed, he explains, they're more likely to delay calling for help, whether for an injured companion, missing friend or lost child.
Besides, he says, most rescues cost less than you think. Volunteers provide extra manpower, and the military can pitch in as part of normal training and duties."