Firefighters watch home burn away since owner didn't pay fee

[RoadRage76]

Everyone pays into a pool either through sales tax or some other tax on city services and for the sake of everyone, everyone's fires are put out as needed...everyone who calls the police should get a police at their door, etc.

Exactly, It's part of everyone's responsibilty to pay and he did not. So I do not feel sorry for him. He did not pay his bill and he got burned. If someone was in danger, then I am sure they would have done something.

If everyone had his attitude, then we would not have emergency services. These services take money and this money is either collected through taxes or some other means.

 

[Hot Mega]

Exactly, It's part of everyone's responsibilty to pay and he did not. So I do not feel sorry for him. He did not pay his bill and he got burned. If someone was in danger, then I am sure they would have done something.

If everyone had his attitude, then we would not have emergency services. These services take money and this money is either collected through taxes or some other means.

You're missing the point. It's exactly because some people will have that attitude and fail to pay that the decision is taken out of their hands in form of taxes or fees added on the existing expenses...and not separate bills for it.

Because the nature of emergency circumstances like fires is such that it's in the public interest that they be taken care of when they happen. Not let some burn or put some out.

There are places that are subject to wildfires..what if those places operated that way and acres and acres happened to burn...destroying the property of others...costing the county hundreds of thousands of dollars in man hours because some person's house in the outskirts was allowed to burn because the slough failed to pay some $75 bill??

So again, the question is the logic of such a policy. The above poster seemed to have more insight and taking him (her) at their word..the residents want this...so in this case, you can take your chances or move if you don't want to pay the fee.

The issue is close for me.

 

[BigHarryO]

So again, the question is the logic of such a policy. The above poster seemed to have more insight and taking him (her) at their word..the residents want this...so in this case, you can take your chances or move if you don't want to pay the fee.

Hell, I never said it was a logical policy! I was simply trying to better explain it. The freedoms afforded Americans in this great country allow people to decide what level of fire protection they want to pay for, or to live in an area that offers none, if that's what they want. The people of Obion County must have a different view of their priorities, compared to most Americans, but that doesn't necessarily make them wrong, just different. No one else has to live there. I certainly wouldn't!

My "insight" comes from nearly 30 years as a Firefighter, both volunteer and career. When I first heard about this story, I began digging deeper to find out the real story, not the sensationalist half-truths being pedaled by our Media. This isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened and it likely will not be the last. I'd be very surprised if the situation changes in Obion County anytime soon. This is a very rural, low income area. Some of the FD's in Obion County have an annual budget of less than $10,000. Most of that goes for insurance, fuel, and repairs to equipment and apparatus. Ten grand doesn't go far these days.