LEELANAU COUNTY, Michigan (WPBN/WGTU) — A Leelanau County firefighter explains the personnel and cost requirements associated with the rescue operation at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Glen Lake L5086 firefighters have posted some clear messages on their social media page about what happens when you descend the steep overlooks of Sleeping Bear Dunes and can’t make it back to the top.

The fire department released a statement saying that the warning signs at the Pyramid Point and Sleeping Bear lookout points would be shared on Facebook.

The view from the summit is breathtaking, but the descent is much easier than the ascent.

Since the warning signs were put in place, the Glen Lake Fire Department estimates that the number of rescue calls has decreased from daily during the summer months to less than weekly.

This summer, emergency crews were called to the Sleeping Bear Dunes lookout points eight times, with half of those calls being rescues, fire officials said.

The rescue of a person from the dunes is a coordinated effort by the National Parks Service and the Glen Lake Fire Department.

Here is the reason for the accusation:

To effectively rescue someone, all on-duty personnel from both stations are required, as well as several NPS rangers. While we are conducting these rescues, we require mutual aid from remote areas to assist our taxpayers should additional emergencies arise. This is one reason for the rescue fees to reduce calls to this location so we can provide adequate services to those who pay for them.

In addition, the equipment needed for rescue operations is expensive and the sand is very hard for this equipment. Rescue ropes are regularly left in poor condition after a complex sand dune operation. This is the other reason for a rescue fee.

What is little known is that there are three different levels of rescue fees. These fees are calculated depending on the complexity of the rescue.

EMS fees range from $675 to $2,700 for more technically challenging rescues, as explained on the Glen Lake Fire Department EMS fee form.

Basic rescue and/or recovery – $675: The removal of a person from a remote location without advanced knowledge or equipment. This includes the initial response team of four people to make an assessment, provide general assistance, and provide transportation by off-road vehicles.

Specialized Rescue – $1,350: Extrication of the person may require: Use of ropes, rigging or specialized equipment to extricate the person. This may also include a primary or secondary response team of more than six people conducting coordinated individual search and rescue in the field, specialized rescue and medical transport in the field through the EMS assembly point.

Advanced Technical Rescue – $2,700: Extrication of the subject may require: Initial or secondary response teams of more than six persons conducting coordinated search and rescue in the field; advanced technical rescue including shoring, hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical tools or other associated technical rescue and safety equipment; advanced assessment and guidance; medical transport in the field to an EMS assembly point.

A final word of warning from the rescue workers:

Do not go down if you cannot get back up. If the warning above is ignored and an emergency occurs, a fee will be charged.