Fire Fighters Refuse to Fight Fire, Homeowners Forgot to Pay Fee

Discussion in 'Politics' started by spidergoat, Oct 6, 2010.

  1. John99 Banned Banned

    Messages:
    22,046
    I wonder why the animals were left in the house, seems like there was enough time to get them out. There reaches a point also where no one is going to run into a burning house to save a dog or a cat.
     
  2. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  3. Cowboy My Aim Is True Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,707
    It's not a public service unless you live in that specific city. Didn't you read the article?
     
  4. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  5. countezero Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,590
    It's public service period. Fire Departments are not for profit enterprises that fund themselves through fees.
     
  6. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  7. Cowboy My Aim Is True Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,707
    How are they funded? By taxes, perhaps? Those are fees.
     
  8. Ophiolite Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    9,232
    Coming down out of the trees was a mistake.
     
  9. shichimenshyo Caught in the machine Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,110
    I did, and it is disgusting beyond measure to me that a mere $75 is worth more than a persons home and overrides a basic sense of human decency and community..they could have put out that fire and I guarantee that man would have paid the fee from then on...and then some, but instead they perpetuate a system that puts money before compassion, and in so doing create a negative attitude toward themselves.
     
  10. countezero Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,590
    You're either playing word games or just being dense. You cannot compare public services, like a fire department, to a private entity that sells widgits or provides service X. So stop.
     
  11. adoucette Caca Occurs Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    7,829
    And that's the way the subscription service worked. If you don't pay up front, they don't come unless someone is in danger.

    No one was, so the answer is no.

    I'd be upset, of course, but that doesn't mean I would expect a fire fighter to risk their life, or their job, just to save my cat.

    No, they are fully insured and are not living on the street.
    The longer term is when the residents of the City get fed up with the County residents not paying their fair share for fire service and decide to end this dumb Subscription service that they are heavily subsidizing. And then everyone in the County is out of luck and over a very short amount of time a lot more than this one house is lost.
    Oh, and the local news is on the side of the City and the Fire Chiefs, and as the City residents are the one's footing the bills for the deadbeats in the County they don't appear to be to worried about what Keith says on a show no one watches.

    According to one of the Videos the guy whose house burnt down knew that the fire department was giving out exemptions and putting out fires for people who had not paid the fee up front, in fact, one was his brother. Of course AFTER that happened is when he "forgot" to pay the fee.
    By the way, do you really believe that he FORGOT to pay? I'd bet he got 2 or 3 notices of his failure to pay with a warning of what would happen if he didn't pay. Forgot my butt.

    So for some time now, the fire dept had been sucking it up and putting out fires for those who didn't pay.

    THEN, they presented the County with the $3 month plan for universal coverage and even that was turned down.

    Everyone is acting like this just happened out of the blue, but it had obviously been an issue for some time and from the Mayor's and Fire Chief's perspective it was just getting worse and worse and something had to change.

    Very serious, but that's not what I asked. Read it slower this time:

    The way the Subscription service worked was if County residents wanted emergency fire service for property fires they would pay the $75 fee up front, and then the City fire department would come to their aid for a property fire.

    So, if someone who didn't pay the fee, called up the Fire Dept to put out a property fire, are you saying they should go put out the fire anyway?

    If so, why would anyone pay the $75 up front?

    And that is why the $75 from someone whose house is on fire is not the issue, its the $75 up front from thousands of residents that is the issue, and would be lost if you got service regardless if you paid or not and without those thousands of yearly fees paid there would be NO fire service for anybody.

    Arthur
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2010
  12. Cowboy My Aim Is True Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,707
    Sure I can. City Of Blah Blah Blah Fire Department isn't a public service if you aren't living in the city of Blah Blah Blah.
     
  13. Cowboy My Aim Is True Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,707
    It was the family that decided that $75 was worth more than their home when they didn't pay the yearly fee.
     
  14. shichimenshyo Caught in the machine Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,110
    Have you ever stopped to consider the bigger picture? How much will this mistake cost this man in the long run? How much will it cost his family and friends emotionally financially....what about the community? Sure he made a mistake and should have paid the $75, but does he deserve to lose his house as a result? The crime does not fit the punishment, and given the horrendous nature of the punishment, I would argue that it in itself is a crime.
     
  15. Cowboy My Aim Is True Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,707
    There was no punishment. He simply wasn't provided a service that he didn't pay for.

    And what if the firefighters did put out the fire? What happens if he refuses to pay the fee for next year and, surprise surprise, has another fire at his house. Should the firefighters again be expected to put out the fire, or would they be accused of being cruel and heartless for refusing? And what about all the other people who now have learned that they basically have a "get out of jail free" card for not paying the yearly fire fee?
     
  16. shichimenshyo Caught in the machine Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,110
    Its not as if the man belligerently refused to pay. He says he forgot...o perhaps he didn't have the money at the time. yet, you paint him as if he is some kind of cheap oaf who deserved what he had coming. Could it be possible that there was a series of circumstances that led to this unfortunate event? It must be nice to see the world such amoral and absolute terms. :shrug:
     
  17. adoucette Caca Occurs Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    7,829
    According to one of the Videos the guy whose house burnt down knew that the fire department was giving out exemptions and putting out fires for people who had not paid the fee up front, in fact, one was his brother.

    Of course AFTER that happened is when he "forgot" to pay the fee.
    By the way, do you really believe that he FORGOT to pay? I'd bet he got 2 or 3 notices of his failure to pay with a warning of what would happen if he didn't pay.

    Forgot my butt.

    So for some time now, the fire dept had been sucking it up and putting out fires for those who didn't pay.

    But the system was failing, the Fire Chiefs and Mayor put together a plan where everyone could have fire coverage in the entire county for a measly $3 per month, and the County turned that down.

    This event didn't happen in a vacuum. The Mayor and the Fire Chief in the city have been trying for years to get Obion County to come to its senses, with no success.

    Look, the average Fire dept funding per year in the surrounding counties was $158,000 a year. In Obion county it was $0.00.

    You get what you pay for.

    Arthur
     
  18. madanthonywayne Morning in America Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    12,461
    If the policy is to respond to fires where a life is at risk, it must be the job of the 911 operator to ascertain whether or not all persons are accounted for.
    Yes, the policy is stupid. They should have responded to the fire and then presented the non-subscribing homeowner with a bill for the actual cost of responding to the fire (something in the thousands, I"d imagine). The big bill you get as a nonsubscriber would serve as incentive to pay the $75 up front
    One of my neighbor's houses recently burned to the ground while they were having dinner at Bandito's. This despite the best efforts of multiple fire departments. Their 2 dogs, however, were rescued by neighbors. Here's a photo of it I took from my phone:

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!


    The fire was so hot it melted the siding of the neighbor's house.
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2010
  19. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    54,036
    No, there shouldn't be any goddamn bill! What the hell is wrong with you people?
     
  20. Cowboy My Aim Is True Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,707
    So where should the fire department get funding?
     
  21. countezero Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,590
    So public services in NYC aren't public services for everyone who doesn't live there? I'm sorry, but that's about the dumbest thing I've read on this site in a long time. Public services remain such by their nature, not based on who they do and do not serve. And people routinely use and call upon public services they do not pay for, such as when they visit a town.

    Again, I would rather have a professional on the site make the decision, rather than a panicked caller and inexperienced phone operator. Fires have a way of growing.
     
  22. Cowboy My Aim Is True Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,707
    But at least in your example, they're IN that town. I'm pretty sure that the NYPD wouldn't respond to an emergency call to my home in California.
     
  23. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    22,910
    You do understand that your example is not a good one. There is just no good reason for a fire department in New York to respond to a fire in your home...other than maybe you like New York fire fighters.
     

Share This Page