No Fee Paid -- No fire department help

[GoodWitch58]

Firefighters watch as home burns to the ground | WPSD Local 6 - News, Sports, Weather - Paducah KY | Local

magine your home catches fire but the local fire department won't respond, then watches it burn. That's exactly what happened to a local family tonight.

A local neighborhood is furious after firefighters watched as an Obion County, Tennessee, home burned to the ground.

The homeowner, Gene Cranick, said he offered to pay whatever it would take for firefighters to put out the flames, but was told it was too late. They wouldn't do anything to stop his house from burning.

Each year, Obion County residents must pay $75 if they want fire protection from the city of South Fulton. But the Cranicks did not pay.

The mayor said if homeowners don't pay, they're out of luck.

Is this what we have come to? and is this what the no government/less government folks want? If so, it's a sad day.

Whatever happened to a sense of community and helping each other?

 

[30ashopper]

I sense Mr. Cranick has finally learned a very valuable life lesson. This really has nothing to do with community, it's about individuals taking responsibility for their own actions.

 

[Matt J]

Frankly I'm not shedding a tear. Luckily for the less/no government folks the federal government works differently and you get the service whether you have paid or not.

 

[beachmouse]

It's nothing new. We lived in that area in the 90s (next county to the east from there) and I can remember being told about the no fee=they'll let your house burn down policy when we were applying for renter's insurance in 1996.

 

[poppy]

I sense Mr. Cranick has finally learned a very valuable life lesson. This really has nothing to do with community, it's about individuals taking responsibility for their own actions.

Seriously? Is this what conservatives want for America?

 

[GoodWitch58]

I sense Mr. Cranick has finally learned a very valuable life lesson. This really has nothing to do with community, it's about individuals taking responsibility for their own actions.

I find it hard to realize that you and some others share this feeling. The family's dog and cat perished in the fire...as the man stood offering to pay any amount to save them and his home. He said he had forgotten to pay the fee.

I am glad that I live in a community that would not let this happen; and that I surround myself with people who show more compassion for their felllow humans and the animals.

 

[Douglas the Intrepid]

The fire started around a burn barrel and took an hour to finally spread to the house. The firefighters could have easily put out the fire sparing the mans house. I think there is a big moral difference between saving a mans home that has yet to ignite and declining to put out a housefire already in progress. Utterly ridiculous and disgusting.

 

[poppy]

? la carte government in action.

Your house is burning but you're poor or you forgot to pay a fee, eff you.

Your child is dying but you're poor and/or have no medical insurance, eff you.

Your family is being murdered but you're poor and/or didn't pay for protection, eff you.

You need help from your representative but you're too poor to contribute your share of the payoff, eff you.

 

[seagrovegirl]

I am speechless........This is a horrible example of selective protection of the health, safety and welfare of a community. That taxation method should be outlawed and the firefighters should be prosecuted.

 

[BeachSiO2]

I think it's a terrible policy, but I am wondering why they didn't pay for the service. It appears that they knew about it from this line in the story...

"I thought they'd come out and put it out, even if you hadn't paid your $75, but I was wrong," said Gene Cranick."

Also, here is the follow-up story. It looks like the owners lived in an unincorporated area of the County where there isn't fire service unless you sign up with the service with city's within the county.

More fallout following house fire | WPSD Local 6 - News, Sports, Weather - Paducah KY | Local

Something tells me that in the future the county government will make residents pay for the subscription service whether they want it or not.