http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39516346/ns/us_news-life/?GT1=43001

Quote :

Firefighters in rural Tennessee let a home burn to the ground last week because the homeowner hadn't paid a $75 fee.

Gene Cranick of Obion County and his family lost all of their possessions in the Sept. 29 fire, along with three dogs and a cat.

"They could have been saved if they had put water on it, but they didn't do it," Cranick told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann.

The fire started when the Cranicks' grandson was burning trash near the family home. As it grew out of control, the Cranicks called 911, but the fire department from the nearby city of South Fulton would not respond.

"We wasn't on their list," he said the operators told him.

Cranick, who lives outside the city limits, admits he "forgot" to pay the annual $75 fee. The county does not have a county-wide firefighting service, but South Fulton offers fire coverage to rural residents for a fee.

Cranick says he told the operator he would pay whatever is necessary to have the fire put out.

His offer wasn't accepted, he said.

The fire fee policy dates back 20 or so years.

"Anybody that's not inside the city limits of South Fulton, it's a service we offer. Either they accept it or they don't," said South Fulton Mayor David Crocker.

Firefighters did eventually show up, but only to fight the fire on the neighboring property, whose owner had paid the fee.

"They put water out on the fence line out here. They never said nothing to me. Never acknowledged. They stood out here and watched it burn," Cranick said.

South Fulton's mayor said that the fire department can't let homeowners pay the fee on the spot, because the only people who would pay would be those whose homes are on fire.

Cranick, who is now living in a trailer on his property, says his insurance policy will help cover some of his lost home.

"Insurance is going to pay for what money I had on the policy, looks like. But like everything else, I didn't have enough."

After the blaze, South Fulton police arrested one of Cranick's sons, Timothy Allen Cranick, on an aggravated assault charge, according to WPSD-TV, an NBC station in Paducah, Ky.

Police told WPSD that the younger Cranick attacked Fire Chief David Wilds at the firehouse because he was upset his father's house was allowed to burn.

WPSD-TV reported that Wilds was treated and released.

What's next? Are police going to start charging victims for coming out to arrest murderers? Is the fire department deliberately TRYING to make itself as hated a target as the police or what?

The Fire Department's job is to put out fire and rescue those who are inside that can't get out even if they payed the fee or not! Makes you wonder if this is not the first time that this happened? They are a bunch of ASS*****!!!!!!!

Amen to that. Now some idiots are on the side with the firemen, 'he should've paid the $75, it's his own fault they died'. Oh really...how do you divide $75 among HOW many firemen, then figure in the cost of the gas or the fuel to drive out there and the water to put it out? What's that going to come to, $8.12 or something a fireman? Is their yearly income for the whole damn department $500 or something that they absolutely MUST get $75 before they do their job?

That whole department needs to be fired and have their asses handed to them. I can't even fathom why they would even think that was acceptable. What if someone died in that fire? There is no way to justify someone losing their life over $75.

Indeeeed, I can't believe people justify this, 'you're supposed to pay a fee, if you don't, oh well'. I know that's how doctors do 'no money? No insurance, then you can just die *unplug*', and for some reason people think that's acceptable. But if the police started saying 'If you want me to arrest the guy who threatened to kill your children, you need to give me $100 for the services', there would be a public outrage, riots, everything...but firemen do it, they say 'your life isn't worth it if we don't get a few bucks', and people think that's alright?


Kind of reminds me of that movie Repo Men, I didn't see it but I remember it, it's all part of the job, it doesn't matter who dies or how many lives are ruined, until YOU'RE the one who can't pay.

We don't know the reason why Mr. Cranick forgot to pay? If one of those firefighters has their house burning, i will be sitting on a chair on the street eating popcorn enjoying the view!!! :biggrin:

Supernova wrote:

Indeeeed, I can't believe people justify this, 'you're supposed to pay a fee, if you don't, oh well'. I know that's how doctors do 'no money? No insurance, then you can just die *unplug*', and for some reason people think that's acceptable. But if the police started saying 'If you want me to arrest the guy who threatened to kill your children, you need to give me $100 for the services', there would be a public outrage, riots, everything...but firemen do it, they say 'your life isn't worth it if we don't get a few bucks', and people think that's alright?


Kind of reminds me of that movie Repo Men, I didn't see it but I remember it, it's all part of the job, it doesn't matter who dies or how many lives are ruined, until YOU'RE the one who can't pay.

I shit you not I was going to post this tag line on the "Can you name this movie?" thread:

"A repo man is always intense... but only a fool gets killed for a car."

I'm just glad it wasn't four people instead of four pets who died. Regardless of what the Cranicks should have done, this is bad PR for the South Fulton FD

alan smithee wrote:

I shit you not I was going to post this tag line on the "Can you name this movie?" thread:

"A repo man is always intense... but only a fool gets killed for a car."

That's kind of funny, though I meant that one that came out a couple years ago, where the repo men take back vital organs that their recipients haven't paid the multi-hundred thousand dollar payments on.

I didn't notice you said Repo Men, not Repo Man. Didn't men come out this year?

Shale, I agree with you 100%. The article stated: The county does not have a county-wide firefighting service, but South Fulton offers fire coverage to rural residents for a fee.

People who live within city limits pay a higher property tax in part due to services afforded them. Any rural area residents who do not have that service included, need to make it a priority to have it paid.

As soon as Fulton responds to calls to residents who have not paid, that information will spread and people will know it is just a fluff fee and it will not be paid by a lot of people because they know that the chances of them needing the fire department are slim, so they are just going to roll with not paying because even if they don't pay, the department still has their back.

The end result after years of "not paid" homes grow in number will be that they will cease coverage in that area completely. And then, the people who could not muster a mere $75 a year will have their own taxes raised like crazy to accommodate a volunteer fire department to be set up for the county.

alan smithee wrote:

I didn't notice you said Repo Men, not Repo Man. Didn't men come out this year?

Who remembers? To me all these new 'action' movies all blur together.