Firefighting, A Civil Liberty?

[r1v3th3ad]

Apparently not...I thought as long as you paid your taxes, money went to the local fire departments.
I am appalled to see something like this happen. They could have saved the house and those poor pets. He even offered to pay, saying it was an honest mistake...but refused service.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7020119673?Firefighters+Allow+Home%2C+Pets+to+Burn+Because+of+Unpaid+Service+Fee

what do you guys think, should we have to pay extra for protection from the medics, police, and fire company? I assumed that if there is a fire, its taken care of, capitalism at its best.

[mustafabey]

God Almighty, thats ridiculous! That whole fire dept and county administrators who thought up that idea should go to jail. I am a rescue squad first member and don't know of anyone here, either Fire or EMS that would sanction that kind of behavior. Out here in southwestern Virginia anyway, volunteerism is very much alive. Hung by the balls by red hot barbed wire pulsing with electric current is too for these people.

[noodle]

Once upon a time, firefighters were employees of insurance companies. If you didn't have a policy, they wouldn't come out. Strict capitalism right there. I didn't think that any areas had an optional fire tax anymore. I thought that ended more than fifty years ago or more. Along with police, firefighting should be funded with local taxes. Trying to do things like this town does will eventually cause trouble.

[Rani]

A lot of municipalities are charging service fees as costs skyrocket and federal money seems more and more earmarked for war. But.... Big, BIG but..... They add on a couple dollars your your water or trash bill, assessment, whatever. They don't charge you annually. And it's stupid. The billing alone would cost more than the service fee would provide. Not to mention keeping track of who paid and who didn't.

And I've never even heard of a fire department that wouldn't respond for any reason. Hell, I know it's liberal California out here but our FD will come out even for the proverbial cat in a tree. They won't rescue it, and they will sent you a bill for a non-emergency call-out, but they will show up and make sure that's all that's going on. To intentionally allow loss of life, including animal life, is against everything the fire department stands for. Wonder which trailer park that particular station is located in.

'Rani

[Rani]

[quote name='noodle' timestamp='1286326702' post='484057']
Once upon a time, firefighters were employees of insurance companies. If you didn't have a policy, they wouldn't come out. Strict capitalism right there. I didn't think that any areas had an optional fire tax anymore. I thought that ended more than fifty years ago or more. Along with police, firefighting should be funded with local taxes. Trying to do things like this town does will eventually cause trouble.
[/quote]

The fire brigades you're talking about were additional to civil brigades. They were an extra service to the insured under their fire policies, not unlike towing on your auto policy.. Fire fighting has been organized and provided by the government since ancient Egypt. It's only in the last century that there was any tax assessment at all for it.

'Rani

[Chreees]

I want to punch people.

EDIT: This is in my fuckin' state! I can literally drive a couple hours and go beat the shit out of these people for their stupidity and heartlessness!

[mustafabey]

[quote name='INCUBUSRATM' timestamp='1286328211' post='484062']
I want to punch people.

EDIT: This is in my fuckin' state! I can literally drive a couple hours and go beat the shit out of these people for their stupidity and heartlessness!
[/quote]

Please do, and kick them a few times for me. I am a born and raised fucking Tennessean and this does not reflect the vast majority of residents of the Volunteer State

[TheScotsman]

[quote name='mustafabey' timestamp='1286326377' post='484056']
God Almighty, thats ridiculous! That whole fire dept and county administrators who thought up that idea should go to jail. I am a rescue squad first member and don't know of anyone here, either Fire or EMS that would sanction that kind of behavior. Out here in southwestern Virginia anyway, volunteerism is very much alive. Hung by the balls by red hot barbed wire pulsing with electric current is too for these people.
[/quote]

You know, that is the first thing I thought too; well, right after I asked myself if I had fell into some alternate universe run by morons even dumber than our usual morons, then decided these were the same senseless morons I had been dealing with for years. If an average, able citizen failed to render aid in an emergency situation, they would be charged with just that, failing to render aid. What makes the FD/PD/AMB any different? Would the PD show up at the bank, then walk away while it was being robbed, because the bank hadn't paid the bank-robber-apprehension-tax? Why would anyone pay property taxes and not expect he full service, and protection of the public services funded by those same taxes? Granted, the FD was the city FD, and this home was in the unincorporated county, but that in no way excuses them from action when they had already shown up at the scene. How could a firefighter just stand there and do nothing? the firefighters are just as guilty as the chief, maybe more-so. I think I would have had to tell the chief it was a mutiny, and he could get the hose, or get out of the way. They say this moronic county has been doing this for 20 years?!?!?! One wonders when the people put up with that? Now this same collection of criminals is going to expand their fee-based services?!?!!? Why does a hospital, either private, or public, by law, have to take anyone reguardless of ability to pay, yet the fire dept can sit and watch a home burn down, and not be guilty of professional misconduct? Something is so wrong there. Fire the whole lot of them, and replace them with a VFD. Ours works just fine... and isn't charging anyone for the convenience of having the place put out.. But I do so hate 2:00 am wakeups on a minus-35 January night-I just keep telling myself I do it because someone would do the same for me.

You know, if it were the home of anyone I knew, I think I would be inspired to a game of midnight front-porch-softball at the chief's place. Who's bringing the nylons? better be large ones, I got a big head! That chief could never walk past a bush at night without fear. Hope he paid his 75$ ambulance fee, cause it's gonna be a long way to crawl! In the end, I bet the additional law enforcement coverage to keep the commissioners, and fire chief safe will cost more than 75$.

I wonder where the mortgage, and insurance companies will come down on it. What's next, add the 75$ additional fire tax to the PITI? Where are those looney PETA people when you need them? Are they going to bitch about how my porterhouse is raised, yet stay silent on the obvious deliberate animal cruelty here?

Really makes a person realize the USA is a second-rate-banana-republic, doesn't it? Calling it capitalisim demonstrates a lack of understanding of just what capitalism is. It's yet another government agency with the power to make life suck, and collect yet another tax. And, more, that people in public "service" positions really are basically assholes.


Damn, am I in a bad mood tonight, or what? I think it's time to dig out the end of my Tang lime, and step away from the computer before I get another nasty-gram from Mush!

[IainUM]

i feel like, for a job like this, helping people and saving lives is the most important part. they can get paid later, and i'm sure if you save someone's life, them or a close relative/loved one would be more than happy to pay for the saving of their life. maybe that's just me...

[Rani]

I think everyone would be at least somewhat excused for being angry and outraged at this. What has just lately come out is that it was a brush fire that spread to the house. So it didn't even start as being as a house fire. And they stood there and watched while a brush fire that should have been their responsibility to put out, unless they were going to let the entire county burn, was allowed to spread and take the lives of their pets. I hope the ASPCA crucifies them.

I'm fairly certain the Chief will lose his job as the County Supervisors meet and ask him what the hell he was thinking to bring this negative publicity down on their heads. And policy will undoubtedly change as the hate mail is generated nationally. Not to mention firemen all over the country are proclaiming they're ashamed to be associated with them. Too bad it took something like this to remind people that bureaucracy isn't all it's cracked up to be.

'Rani

[SneakyPete]

At the risk of sounding unpopular, isn't it always an honest mistake? The cheque is in the mail... I didn't know... I'm the victim... How often have we tried to get that extra day out of a gas tank... or cheaped out to save a buck (10 dollar hookah on ebay???? what a deal!!!). If you are living in a county where you have to pay for something... it obviously isn't a secret. Most will send letters, will call, or even visit houses to get that 75 bucks. Most houses wont use that service, so it makes sense to try to get the cash. After the fire starts, it is a little late to go back and pay it on the spot. It usually doesn't work. So the easy thing to do is blame the people that are easiest to blame. It sucks that 4 Pets had to die and that a house had to burn down, but do Insurance companies let you pay car insurance after you get in a wreck? In the end, it comes down to responsibility. You saved 75 bucks, But lost pets and your home. You invest a hundred thousand into your house, I know i've put about 3 grand into the health of my 3 year old Boston Terrier. I know 75 dollars is a small price to pay to make sure she and my house is safe. Easy choice in my opinion. It just is easy to blame someone else when your house is burning down after you dropped the ball....

[SynysterPhoenix]

[quote name='SneakyPete' timestamp='1286834641' post='484700']
At the risk of sounding unpopular, isn't it always an honest mistake? The cheque is in the mail... I didn't know... I'm the victim... How often have we tried to get that extra day out of a gas tank... or cheaped out to save a buck (10 dollar hookah on ebay???? what a deal!!!). If you are living in a county where you have to pay for something... it obviously isn't a secret. Most will send letters, will call, or even visit houses to get that 75 bucks. Most houses wont use that service, so it makes sense to try to get the cash. After the fire starts, it is a little late to go back and pay it on the spot. It usually doesn't work. So the easy thing to do is blame the people that are easiest to blame. It sucks that 4 Pets had to die and that a house had to burn down, but do Insurance companies let you pay car insurance after you get in a wreck? In the end, it comes down to responsibility. You saved 75 bucks, But lost pets and your home. You invest a hundred thousand into your house, I know i've put about 3 grand into the health of my 3 year old Boston Terrier. I know 75 dollars is a small price to pay to make sure she and my house is safe. Easy choice in my opinion. It just is easy to blame someone else when your house is burning down after you dropped the ball....
[/quote]


So you would honestly let a house burn down right in front of you when you know you have the power to stop it just because someone did not a $75 fee? The money does not even goes to you. I suppose it would indirectly in one way or another, but i could never do that.

[SneakyPete]

[quote name='SynysterPhoenix' timestamp='1287076573' post='485035']
[quote name='SneakyPete' timestamp='1286834641' post='484700']
At the risk of sounding unpopular, isn't it always an honest mistake? The cheque is in the mail... I didn't know... I'm the victim... How often have we tried to get that extra day out of a gas tank... or cheaped out to save a buck (10 dollar hookah on ebay???? what a deal!!!). If you are living in a county where you have to pay for something... it obviously isn't a secret. Most will send letters, will call, or even visit houses to get that 75 bucks. Most houses wont use that service, so it makes sense to try to get the cash. After the fire starts, it is a little late to go back and pay it on the spot. It usually doesn't work. So the easy thing to do is blame the people that are easiest to blame. It sucks that 4 Pets had to die and that a house had to burn down, but do Insurance companies let you pay car insurance after you get in a wreck? In the end, it comes down to responsibility. You saved 75 bucks, But lost pets and your home. You invest a hundred thousand into your house, I know i've put about 3 grand into the health of my 3 year old Boston Terrier. I know 75 dollars is a small price to pay to make sure she and my house is safe. Easy choice in my opinion. It just is easy to blame someone else when your house is burning down after you dropped the ball....
[/quote]


So you would honestly let a house burn down right in front of you when you know you have the power to stop it just because someone did not a $75 fee? The money does not even goes to you. I suppose it would indirectly in one way or another, but i could never do that.
[/quote]

Never. What I was saying is that often some people will go out of the way not pay that $75 Dollars. Then it turns into everyone's fault but your own.