Posted on 12/06/2011 4:33:24 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
A Tennessee couple helplessly watched their home burn to the ground, along with all of their possessions, because they did not pay a $75 annual fee to the local fire department.
Vicky Bell told the NBC affiliate WPSD-TV that she called 911 when her mobile home in Obion County caught fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene but as the fire raged, they simply stood by and did nothing. "In an emergency, the first thing you think of, 'Call 9-1-1," homeowner Bell said.
However, Bell and her husband were forced to walk into the burning home in an attempt to retrieve their own belongings. "You could look out my mom's trailer and see the trucks sitting at a distance," Bell said. "We just wished we could've gotten more out."
South Fulton Mayor David Crocker defended the fire department, saying that if firefighters responded to non-subscribers, no one would have an incentive to pay the fee.
Residents in the city of South Fulton receive the service automatically, but it is not extended to those living in the greater county-wide area.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
As others have said, this only illustrates why taxes are needed for some things. In our area the township helps fund the VFD with taxes supplemented with donations and fund raisers and I fully support it.
We have ambulance services that are funded privately by individual members but are still available to all and they will bill when used. Some people are too damn stupid or tight to do what is right by themselves, and then they'll want others to bail them and just like Wall St. it isn't limited to foolish average people.
Many years ago (1700s-1800s) the public bought fire protection and they implanted a building fire insurance mark in the front of the structure that identified it as being "covered". We need coverage for a community to prevent massive destructive fires that can spread and destroy a community. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_insurance_mark
“That’s great, Alex, but that’s not how they’ve chosen to do it there.”
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Well, that is not MY problem, or yours.
I offered a very simple and easy solution.
It is beyond my ability to fix stupid.
If one decides not to purchase car insurance and then gets into a wreck, would one expect the insurance companies to swoop in and make good anyhow? I do not think that many people would answer to the affirmative. So why then should a family - too cheap to pay the annual fee - expect firefighters to douse the fire in their home all the same?
p.s. our current firehouse was built in 1935 and is in need of replacement, so the VFD just purchased a larger piece of land for a bigger station less than one mile from the current location and we are doing the fund raising now to build the new station
Not even “conservatives” on FR are for freedom of choice and personal responsibility.
It makes me realize how far over the edge we’ve gone. And makes me very sad.
Exactly as I feel. These "firefighters" which, of course is a misnomer in this case, are far more mercenaries than public servants.
Every fire department should have this policy. That way the money would go straight to the station - cutting out some parasites in the middle. :)
This wasn't a VFD but raher a city FD covering a Rural area by subscription service as I understand the article. Thus city taxes paid for the service. County residence had too have known no paid fee paid meant no coverage given. Most Tennessee counties usually cover rural fire fighting needs with VFD's though.
...are far more mercenaries than public servants.
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You miss the point. They are NOT public servants. Not even “private” servants. Vicky Bell does not pay taxes to that outside fire department agency. Nor does she pay the silly $75.00 fee.
People who “didn’t pay” (i.e., have no health insurance) can walk into an emergency room and get treated. Because that’s the kind of people we’ve decided to be in America.
I guess the firemen in Tennessee have decided to be... different kind of people.
Just wow.
Good call. I immediately thought if the similar story from last year but couldn’t recall where it occurred.
I understand the difference between fees and donations, smart guy - if these rubes had just paid the $75 they would still have their house.
I would like to know more about the fee. Are the city dwellers subsidizing anyone outside the city limits? How much do the city dwellers pay? Do you get a rebate if the fire occurrences are low that year? Are these union fire fighters? Does your homeowner’s fire insurance policy give you a discount if you pay the yearly fire department usage fee? What exactly does the fee cover or guarantee? Where does public safety end and private safety start. Does unused fire funds move over to the city’s general fund at the end of the year? Is there a fireman’s creed or oath?
“Sounds like this one is funded by city taxes and these people apparently lived outside the city. Thus the fee.”
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Then it should be funded by county taxes.
If not, the fee should be included in rent or mortgage
payments.
If that does not work, a lien could be filed on the property.
Watching the house burn is cruel and unusual punishment.
I guess the firemen in Tennessee have decided to be... different kind of people.
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It’s not the firemen who are making the decisions here. It’s the citizens - the taxpayers.
This is classis libertariansim in action. Citizens have made the choice to limit their government.
Didn’t work out so well for Vicky Bell, huh?
“I guess the firemen in Tennessee have decided to be... different kind of people.”
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Do not include the whole state.
Before I left the USSA, I was a Tennessee volunteer fireman.
We would NEVER have done what is described in the story.
The county south of me had a community just loose it's VFD to Rural Metro because persons stopped donating. Rural Metro is fee for service either by subscription or by paying when needed which is thousands in a fully involved fire. The good part of a VFD is they respond from their own residence which may be a neighbor and can at least get in and clear the home. The only ones to respond from the building are the pumper and tankers. MIne is 10 miles away.
I suppose you're right. They are the type of people that if they heard a child screaming in the flames would have calculated that it would be dangerous to try and save them and not worth risking their precious skin, walking away would be the most prudent move.
As someone already posted, sickening.
My little town has a VFD and ambulance service. I've not had a fire in the 20 or so years I've lived here but last year I had to call for an ambulance for my wife. They were very prompt and professional and charged zero dollars.
The last time I had to pay for an ambulance was more than 20 years ago and it was over $1,000 at the time.
Now when my VFD has their "all you can eat pancake and sausage breakfasts" for $5, I drop a hundred dollar bill in the till. Last time I took my 11 year old grand son with me, he's one serious pancake and sausage eater, I donated two, hundred dollar bills.
I can't say enough good things about these folks.
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