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Councilman Greg Stanton's
Arcadia News
July 2004
Summer fun includes safety
It is no secret that Phoenix is home to picturesque landscape, which attracts residents and visitors to many outdoor activities throughout the year. Besides the beautiful desert preserves, the city is surrounded by several mountain preserves that beckon to hikers with a wide range of skills. With the majestic South Mountain, North Papago, Piestewa Peak and Camelback Mountain in relatively close proximity, Phoenix is a hiker's dream, but that dream can quickly become a nightmare without proper safety precautions. On the average, two or three deaths occur every year because people failed to take proper safety precautions.
There is no other agency in the United States that goes on as many mountain rescues as the Phoenix Fire Department. In 2003, the Phoenix Fire Department responded to 93 rescues and spent approximately $150,000 assisting hikers on mountain rescues. It costs the city $1,500 an hour to perform a rescue using a helicopter; in a non-helicopter rescue, it costs nearly $1,000 each hour. This boils down to money, manpower and precious city resources that are used to rescue those that simply failed to properly prepare.
Of all the mountain rescues that year, hikers at Camelback Mountain needed assistance more than any other mountainous rescue in Phoenix. The 33 rescues at this popular spot could have been avoided if hikers followed proper safety guidelines.
As a member of the city council's Environment and Land Use Subcommittee I am committed to ensuring that our parks and preserves are safe places to enjoy the outdoors and I encourage you to enjoy the great mountain preserves, but remember a few important safety tips.
Have a hiking plan: tell someone where and when you'll be hiking and when you are finished; don't do more than you are able-know your limitations. Have the essentials: proper footwear, one quart of water for short hikes-more for longer hikes, light-colored, loose clothing, hat, sun block and a cell phone. Stay on the trail: most injuries and rescues occur on the trails due to heat problems and many rescues involved inexperienced hikers who veered off the trail.
If you have any questions about this or any other issue, as always, please feel free to call my office at 602-262-7491, greg.stanton@phoenix.gov or visit my Web site at
www.phoenix.gov/district6.
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