Okay, so this family didn’t pay the $75.00 fire protection fee to the local government. So, the house catches on fire, the family calls 911 and says they’ll pay all expenses for the fire…
But the firefighters still don’t show up???
And the firefighters don’t show up until a neighbor who HAS paid the $75.00 calls 911 because he’s afraid the fire will spread to his property! And then, they only fight the fire as it threatens the paying neighbor’s house. They just let the delinquent family burn.:eek:
Using fire imagery, I say “What the fucking hell??!!” Okay, these folks should’ve paid, but you don’t just let a fire rage out of control because some mopes don’t pay their bills. You fine the mopes. You take them to court. If their house catches on fire in between, you figure up the cost of fighting the blaze, and add that to the fines. If the mopes get real stubborn about paying, garnish wages or jam their asses in prison. But you don’t just let houses burn to the ground, not even showing up until other people are in danger!!
What the fuck is the matter with this country?? Is our national motto changed from “E Pluribus Unum” to whatever’s Latin for “Pay Up or Fuck Off and Die?”
This is just the sort of government we can expect from shithead Libertarian Teabagger types. This case might not exactly prove that statement, but this seems like something those types might approve of.
What the fuck is the matter with people who refuse to pay the taxes to support a county wide fire department then is surprised to fine that there is no fire service for his area?
The article is kinda poorly written. They did show up when the first guy called, to make sure nobody was in mortal danger. (They do this whether you have paid or not.) They just didn’t put the fire out.
Don’t exaggerate. They let the delinquent property burn. The family was fine.
Let’s keep in mind that this county has a democratically elected government. That government chose to:
A. Not establish its own fire department or volunteer fire squad,
B. Contract for fire services from a neighboring municipality,
C. Pay for it via an assessment on each property owner instead of a flat rate for the whole county.
I wonder if their fire protection policy will be raised the next time their government meets for official business down at the bait shop.
I also object to your inaccurate conflation of libertarians and teabaggers. Teabaggers tend to be religious nuts. There are some nuttily religious libertarians, but generally they fiercely support religious freedom.
Read the GQ and GD threads, people who live in incorporated areas are used to the idea of fully tax supported firefighting services. In some areas of the country, it is not unknown to see special fees for local fire departments to respond into areas they do not normally have any responsibility to cover in exchange for a fee.
Even where mutual aid agreements exist, there is often money changing hands between towns and cities to provide that coverage.
I think the surprise was more along the lines of not even being allowed to pay for fire service when the need arose. Especially when the firefighters were already there, tending to the neighbor’s property. Almost certainly they stayed there until the it fully burned out for safety reasons. You really think the common sense thing to do when you have the means to put it out on the spot and expectation of compensation is to make an ideological point at the cost of a family’s livelihood?
Did the family know the deal? Did they know the consequences? Did they have the option to move somewhere else if they didn’t like this deal? I get so tired of people who don’t think the rules of the society they live in apply to them, like they get some kind of “we’re special people” exemption from life. I have been accused in the past of not having compassion; it’s not true - I have a lot of compassion. It doesn’t extend as far as feeling sorry for people who don’t like the bed they made through their own free will, though. Am I sorry their house burnt down? Yes. No one deserves that. Am I infuriated by the fire department not helping them when they didn’t pay a specific fee for fire services? Not at all. A deal’s a deal, and they knew the deal. They gambled and lost.
As was extensively mentioned here and elsewhere, they get stiffed more than 50% of the time when they accept that arrangement, and that’s when they charge only a slightly less nominal fee of $500. As that number goes up, I’m sure payment rates go further down.
The FD sends a letter every year and follows up with a phone call. Crannick’s refusal of service is recorded.
But maybe Der Trihs will get his wish, and Crannick will murder a bunch of firefighters in a fit of rage. Fingers crossed for you, Der!
There’s also the fact that the municipality that funds and controls the FD has no legal means of collecting money that’s not voluntarily offered. The county residents are outside their jurisdiction, the county refuses to enforce penalties against those residents, and the cost of suing someone who just had a housefire is prohibitive. Collecting after the fact is exactly the sucker’s game that Crannick had been exploiting.
I can’t refuse to carry medical insurance, then offer to pay the premium the day I find out I need a life-saving surgery. Nor can I refuse to carry auto insurance, then offer to pay the premium from the site of an accident.
The situation is awful for them, there’s no disputing that. But were it me, I wouldn’t expect the fire department to come put it out if I hadn’t paid the fee for it to be done.
You don’t get to buy car insurance the day after you cause an accident. Same premise. The firefighters would have attempted to rescue anyone that was in danger so that covers any ethical or moral arguments. The property owners declined coverage so neither they nor the op will find any sympathy with me.
If they didn’t have homeowners insurance, they didn’t get to buy it the next day either. You make your decisions, you live with them.
This whole situation is horrible. It was 75 dollars. Shame on all the “Fire Fighters” who were involved and watched this man’s house burn to the ground. Do you really think it was worth it after the fact? Sure showed him!
I’m disgusted by the lack of compassion people in the profession of fire fighting, EMS, and Police have in general as of late. I would of gladly paid the 75 fucking dollars to save this family’s belongings and home.
Can’t be bothered to read the link or the thread, huh? But since you’re so willing to pay the guy’s fee, maybe you can send it for the next fire, preferably before the fire starts.
I submit to you that it was very difficult for those firefighters to not do what they are supposed to do, but that’s the name of the game in that county - $75 gets you the services of the local firefighters. No pay, no service. This is an easy to understand, ubiquitous system in North America (and the world, as far as that goes). Shame on the homeowners who valued their own house at less than $75.