What services should you have to pay for?

[mhsjax]

And couldn't the same be said for the homeowner? How about HE LET HIS house burn down for a measly $75.?

Why is everyone only putting the Fire Dept to blame? He CHOSE to let his house burn down.

Of course he offered to pay after the fact. But what if everyone did that then there would be no money to run the Dept. waiting on the fires.

I say it is about time we start holding Adults responsible for their own decisions and paying the consequences of them instead of saving everyone's butts all the time.

Well if that is the line of thinking, then maybe we should make it where the fir fighters and the police stop rescuing people after they have been told that it is mandatory for them to evacuate, like in a hurricane. Those fire fighters weren't even risking their lives for this one, yet they do when some idiot refuses to leave and then they have to be saved.

 

[Anjelica]

I wonder how many folks have now paid their fee since the incident.... I bet anyone in that rural area who didn't think they would let a house burned down if they didn't pay the fee were certainly hot to be paid up to date.

I thought I read that this service had been extended since 1990 to that rural area - and that for the entire time the gentlemen lived in his home he never paid the service.

Sorry but no lives at stake I don't really see what the firefighters did (or didn't do) as an issue. He didn't pay for a service and therefore didn't receive the service - why is he complaining???

 

[mhsjax]

I disagree. While it's shame that the man lost his house, what would have happened if one of the firefighters had been injured or lost their life?

That is what firefighters do, they risk their lives. If they don't want the risk, then don't become one.

 

[merekc]

IMHO I'm not sure how I feel about it. There are good arguments to both sides.

One thing that is not really be discussed is the person himself and the news media spin. We don't really know the back story here. The "victim" says he forgot to pay his $75 so everyone feels bad they didn't take care of him. However, for all we know he may have "forgot" to pay it every year for the last 30 years. He may fight every year with the fire department and city over stupid things. He may have sued the city in the past for putting out his intentionally set debris fires. We do not know the whole story. I don't feel you can place 100% of the blame on the Fire Department.

It makes me think of our news channels here. If someone dies in the process of breaking the law, one of our news channels shows his mama balling her eyes out for her baby who should have been treated better. The other news station shows a whole screen full of mugshots and tells how the criminal came to meet their unfortunate end. You can't believe anything the media tells you as being 100% the whole story.

 

[wvjules]

Well if that is the line of thinking, then maybe we should make it where the fir fighters and the police stop rescuing people after they have been told that it is mandatory for them to evacuate, like in a hurricane. Those fire fighters weren't even risking their lives for this one, yet they do when some idiot refuses to leave and then they have to be saved.

They paid their fee so its all good.

 

[wvjules]

IMHO I'm not sure how I feel about it. There are good arguments to both sides.

One thing that is not really be discussed is the person himself and the news media spin. We don't really know the back story here. The "victim" says he forgot to pay his $75 so everyone feels bad they didn't take care of him. However, for all we know he may have "forgot" to pay it every year for the last 30 years. He may fight every year with the fire department and city over stupid things. He may have sued the city in the past for putting out his intentionally set debris fires. We do not know the whole story. I don't feel you can place 100% of the blame on the Fire Department.
It makes me think of our news channels here. If someone dies in the process of breaking the law, one of our news channels shows his mama balling her eyes out for her baby who should have been treated better. The other news station shows a whole screen full of mugshots and tells how the criminal came to meet their unfortunate end. You can't believe anything the media tells you as being 100% the whole story.

They stood there and watched a house go up in flames. They are 100% to blame, IMO.

 

[mhsjax]

They paid their fee so its all good.

Sorry, I forgot.

 

[mhsjax]

IMHO I'm not sure how I feel about it. There are good arguments to both sides.

One thing that is not really be discussed is the person himself and the news media spin. We don't really know the back story here. The "victim" says he forgot to pay his $75 so everyone feels bad they didn't take care of him. However, for all we know he may have "forgot" to pay it every year for the last 30 years. He may fight every year with the fire department and city over stupid things. He may have sued the city in the past for putting out his intentionally set debris fires. We do not know the whole story. I don't feel you can place 100% of the blame on the Fire Department.

It makes me think of our news channels here. If someone dies in the process of breaking the law, one of our news channels shows his mama balling her eyes out for her baby who should have been treated better. The other news station shows a whole screen full of mugshots and tells how the criminal came to meet their unfortunate end. You can't believe anything the media tells you as being 100% the whole story.

And for all we know, he may really have forgotten to pay this year, we really don't know.

All I can say is Karma is a (female dog). Nothing good can come to anyone that stands there and lets this happen.

 

[RitaE]

This situation also makes me wonder how long before some other situations occur:

1. Billing Error. The Smith family paid their $75 fee but a County Clerk mistakenly credited that payment to the Smithe Family 2 blocks over. Smith Family house goes up in flames and the fire department stands by while Mrs. Smith runs back into the house to find her receipt.

2. Rental houses. Landlord collects the rent tells tenants $75 is paid .... only to find out on the night of the fire that he not only didn't pay the Property Taxes, he also didn't pay the Fire Department. Ooops, sorry about your stuff.

I agree that a Town Fire District has to collect the money from somewhere to pay their bills, this just doesn't seem like a very good way to do it.

 

[Anjelica]

Not so sure he forgot but more or less "expected" them to provide a service he didn't pay for:

Gene Cranick told WPSD, an NBC affiliate in Kentucky. "I thought they'd come out and put it out, even if you hadn't paid your $75, but I was wrong."

 

[Pakey]

I look at this the same way I look at auto insurance. If you don't carry full coverage, nobody is going to replace your car if you have an accident. This is true even when you "forget" to pay your premium.

 

[mhsjax]

I look at this the same way I look at auto insurance. If you don't carry full coverage, nobody is going to replace your car if you have an accident. This is true even when you "forget" to pay your premium.

NOt even close to being the same thing.

Insurance companies are not in the business of saving lives, fire fighters are. Check out the Fire fighters pledge. NO where in there does it say they help only those that pay. I can't fathom comparing fire fighters to and Insurance company, that is just beyond all understanding to me.

Maybe Drs should be this way at hospital. Maybe ambulances should be this way if people don't have money or insurance. Maybe we should just say to everyone pay or forget health care, police protection, fire protection.

 

[Hannathy]

Well if that is the line of thinking, then maybe we should make it where the fir fighters and the police stop rescuing people after they have been told that it is mandatory for them to evacuate, like in a hurricane. Those fire fighters weren't even risking their lives for this one, yet they do when some idiot refuses to leave and then they have to be saved.

Fine with me!

I happen to agree 100% I don't think the emergency services should risk their lives when idiots don't care enough about their own lives to follow directions. so no argument from me. I think they should be told if you do not evacuate we will not come save your butt.

Paying for fire protection is not exactly new , or has everyone forgotten their history and Ben Franklin and the paid fire symbols in Philadelphia? So yes firefighters have been watching houses burn that didn't pay for well over 200 years, it is nothing new. So why the outcry now? Oh yea in or PC world of no one being held responsible for their own actions no one can believe someone actually was. Back then they accepted the consequences of their own actions.

 

[Anjelica]

I find it hard to believe he forgot but then remembered every year prior to this year. So lets say he forgot - wouldn't he have received a second mailing to pay the fee with maybe some late assessment?

If you pay something every year is it really fair to assume that "I forgot" is a legitimate answer when you want the coverage/service? I forgot to pay my property taxes, I forgot to pay my homeowners insurance, I forgot to pay my car insurance, I forgot to pay my loan - he's a grown man. Part of being a an adult is owning up to your responsibilities and giving excuses of "I forgot to pay" doesn't cut it in the real world. You apparently remembered to pay it every year prior to this.

 

[MrsToad]

This situation also makes me wonder how long before some other situations occur:

1. Billing Error. The Smith family paid their $75 fee but a County Clerk mistakenly credited that payment to the Smithe Family 2 blocks over. Smith Family house goes up in flames and the fire department stands by while Mrs. Smith runs back into the house to find her receipt.

2. Rental houses. Landlord collects the rent tells tenants $75 is paid .... only to find out on the night of the fire that he not only didn't pay the Property Taxes, he also didn't pay the Fire Department. Ooops, sorry about your stuff.

I agree that a Town Fire District has to collect the money from somewhere to pay their bills, this just doesn't seem like a very good way to do it.

Very good points. Add to this the comment another poster made that the fire department DID start working the fire after it spread to a neighbor's property. What if they had waited too long, or the winds changed and they lost control of the fire? Leaving a fire burning could put other properties at risk; it should have been put out right away.

I, also, think the problem is more with the rule than the fire fighters, though I am surprised they were able to stand by and watch. Do homeowners where this guy lives pay taxes to a local government? If so, it would seem to make more sense for the local government to contract directly with the district that provides the fire fighting service, and then include the total cost in their yearly tax bills.

This type of arrangement is sometimes done with small towns in our area when the town isn't large enough to have its own police department. The TOWN pays the state for the ability to have a set number of resident state troupers stationed in the town, then the town includes the cost charged by the state with the regular town taxes. I think this type of system would be better with the fire fighting service, as well. This way, everyone is protected and an un-fought fire won't have the opportunity to spread simply because someone didn't pay their bill or, as the quoted poster mentioned, a mistake was made in whether a fee was paid or not.

 

[mhsjax]

Fine with me!

I happen to agree 100% I don't think the emergency services should risk their lives when idiots don't care enough about their own lives to follow directions. so no argument from me. I think they should be told if you do not evacuate we will not come save your butt.

Paying for fire protection is not exactly new , or has everyone forgotten their history and Ben Franklin and the paid fire symbols in Philadelphia? So yes firefighters have been watching houses burn that didn't pay for well over 200 years, it is nothing new. So why the outcry now? Oh yea in or PC world of no one being held responsible for their own actions no one can believe someone actually was. Back then they accepted the consequences of their own actions.

I happen to agree with you on the rescue thing also, and I am not the least bit PC, I really have to monitor myself here, but I don't think a fire fighter should stand there and watch a place burn because of a lack of payment.

We did lots of things differently back in the good ole Ben Franklin days, people also had slaves to work for them, not a real good idea in my mind.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

My opinion (for what it is worth) is that this man got what he paid for. He paid nothing for the service and that is exactly what he received. The only person to blame is himself.

Firefighting equipment is extremely expensive. Just a basic firetruck with no bells or whistles can easily cost over $100,000. That doesn't include gear, ladders, etc. Where I live, the rural areas rely upon a volunteer firefighting force and it is getting harder and harder to find people willing to volunteer. No one likes tax increases, but everyone expects the service. There is no such thing as a free ride...someone has to pay if you want the service to be provided.

 

[mster425]

I have to say, I believe firemen have a duty to, ahem, put out fires.

However, there is a part of me that is kind of rooting for the fire dep't- if he hasn't paid the bill in 20 years, he didn't forget he just didn't want to. Maybe he'll pay it next year.

 

[DawnCt1]

On what grounds-he knew there was a $75 fee for fire service and he refused to pay. It would be different if he didn't know about it.

Because I feel that taxes are collected to provide basic safety services. This almost sounds like "protection money" that one must pay organized crime.

 

[Planogirl]

The man should have paid but it's still very sad that this happened to him. I don't see how a firefighter could just stand there and watch a house burn.