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As someone that actually served as a volunteer firefighter and first responder in a fee-based fire association, I can tell you that that is exactly how they are run. We received no other financial support, with the exception of member donations above the contract fee. Sorry to burst your little bubble.
The fire department in question is what is being talked about. So your "experience" in a volunteer firefighting department is irrelevant. This is the fire department for South Fulton TN, which is funded by taxes from the city. So like I said you have to be joking if you think that the fire department is funded entirely by that $75 a year fee from those residents. Maybe you should take some time to actually know what you are talking about before you spout off.
The dufus is irrelevant. The family didn't pay $75 for fire protection to their neighbor for fire protection they paid it to(Drumroll please) this fire department, so they are the ones who are supposed to protect their house from fire, not allow damage to their property to teach others a lesson.
As to your story, it doesn't have anything to do with the case at hand so I won't comment.
They didn't --allow damage to their property.
They were trying to save the property of the ones who play by the rules.
As to my story not having anything to do-------I doubt if he wouldn't pay the $75 he would pay if there was a charge for putting out his fire.
Deadbeats and freeloaders are all over ( not just in Kentucky )
The fire department in question is what is being talked about. So your "experience" in a volunteer firefighting department is irrelevant. This is the fire department for South Fulton TN, which is funded by taxes from the city. So like I said you have to be joking if you think that the fire department is funded entirely by that $75 a year fee from those residents. Maybe you should take some time to actually know what you are talking about before you spout off.
And you're basing your intimate understanding of the financial standing of this department on what? As stated in the OP, in the city they are tax supported, for services they provide on a contract basis outside of city limits, they are supported via the funds from the contract fees. Perhaps the city should just quit offering this service outside of the city limits.
The fire department in question is what is being talked about. So your "experience" in a volunteer firefighting department is irrelevant. This is the fire department for South Fulton TN, which is funded by taxes from the city. So like I said you have to be joking if you think that the fire department is funded entirely by that $75 a year fee from those residents. Maybe you should take some time to actually know what you are talking about before you spout off.
From what it appears, the residents of this area are not a part of the city that the firefighters work for. They live outside the city and thus have to pay a $75/year fee for protection since their town does not have its own fire department.
From another article:
Quote:
Vowell said county residents do not have guaranteed fire service since there is no countywide fire department to cover rural areas, but many municipalities offer rural fire coverage to residents in specified coverage areas for a nominal annual fee. South Fulton’s fee is $75.
However, Vowell said residents in those rural areas cannot be forced to pay the fee and it’s their decision whether to accept the coverage. “We are a city fire department. We are responsible for the City of South Fulton and we offer a subscription (to rural residents). If they choose not to, we can’t make them,” he said.
The guy wanted the department to render services that he willingly did not purchase. It is very akin to a woman getting health insurance sans maternity coverage, then crying to the media that it doesn't cover an OBGYN when she accidentally becomes pregnant.
If he could not be bothered paying $75/year - who is to say that he would actually pay a several thousand dollar bill from the department? Plus, if they had acted on his property and somebody had gotten hurt, the department's insurance may not have covered it.
Personally, I think they should have had the guy sign a legal document to pay for services rendered and cover all expenses since he did not have any coverage, then helped him out. It seems more humane than just letting it burn to the ground.
Though, it appears that one of the homeowner's family members decided to physically assault the fire chief over this. How juvenile.
Mayor Crocker said if the fire department operated on a per-call basis outside the city, there would be no incentive for anyone to pay the rural fee. As an analogy, he said if an auto owner allowed their vehicle insurance to lapse, they would not expect an insurance company to pay for an unprotected vehicle after it was wrecked.
Vowell said people always think they will never be in a situation where they will need rural fire protection, but he said City of South Fulton personnel actually go above and beyond in trying to offer the service. He said the city mails out notices to customers in the specified rural coverage area, with coverage running from July 1 of one year to July 1 the next year.
At the end of the enrollment month of July, the city goes a step further and makes phone calls to rural residents who have not responded to the mail-out.
Seems like a pretty simple concept, and like the homeowner had plenty of opportunities to subscribe, doesn't it?
I know things have to get paid, but the firefighters did the absolute WRONG thing in this situation. Apparently the area in question makes people pay $75 per year or they don't get fire coverage. I am so glad I don't live anywhere like that. Sure, the firefighters were just following orders, but what if they had put the fire out? Do you honestly think the powers in charge would fire every one of them? Do you know what kind of negative media backlash that would create against the people in charge? I hope the firefighters are happy, because THEY are taking the brunt of the abuse for their bosses. Sometimes you have to question authority and the firefighters did the wrong thing in this situation. They did the same thing as if a doctor stood by and watched someone bleed to death and didn't help because they didn't pay up front.
The same thing happened I think in Vicksburg/Warren County, MS within the last couple of years. Wow.
Sounds like a Libertarian dream world. OP, are you some kind of socialist or something?
But enough with the sarcasm. What happened to human decency? Lots of people think the downfall of our society is due to civil rights for gay people or providing insurance for kids through the government, et cetera. I think it's due to everyone just being in it for themselves nowadays. Do you think something like this would have happened and been defended when the Greatest Generation was just starting out?
Last edited by brattpowered; 10-01-2010 at 03:38 PM..
Sounds like a Libertarian dream world. OP, are you some kind of socialist or something?
But enough with the sarcasm. What happened to human decency? Lots of people think the downfall of our society is due to civil rights for gay people or providing insurance for kids through the government, et cetera. I think it's due to everyone just being in it for themselves nowadays. Do you think something like this would have happened and been defended when the Greatest Generation was just starting out?
Of course not... they would have paid the money and not EXPECTED someone give them a service for free.
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