Why did fireman just watch as this fire burn a house down

Talked to a firefighter about this story and it was stated to me that they wouldn't let the fire go. They would charge the person well over $500/hr to fight the fire. Again, our fire tags are $50.

 

The contract was implicitly signed when the homeowner declined the annual fee, a situation when they are not under duress. By not paying the annual fee, they are "signing a contract" to either let their house burn down or pay the stated fees when they need it.

 

I can't say about what you went through. When I was a kid at a school in Va. we didn't know there was in difference in hispanic and caucasian and I still don't. But you are correct many southern caucasian don't go out of their way to help militant groups.

I wouldn't question you on that, I been doing like wise in NYC, and other places in the north, mainly cities and had about the same results do to my southern accent in the smaller town, not as bad. When you don't fit in with the local folks you could have a problem. By the way back in the 60's a group of us were ask to get out of Harlem, we were witnessing and as the police said we didn't fit in and the people didn't want us. I have no problem with Harlem or black folks, just the group that caused the fuss had a problem with caucasian and being from the south didn't help.

That is sad, but I can't say that I question you at all. I never saw much of it because my father didn't put up with it, but I was raised up in a segregated world. But it has been years since I've seen it. I've been in fully intergrated churches from the 60's own and I guess if you are counting hispanic, I've always been in churches that were intergrated, and all schools were and work places, because hispanics are caucasian or that is how I was taught.

As I said before, I never knew there was a difference between hispanics are caucasians. We were raised with folks from Cuba which came over in the late 1800's, they assimilated right into our world and were very business minded. They have been leaders in our state for years. The problem started down here when Reagan gave the illegals a pass. We had town that went from english speaking to half or more speaking spanish, added cost to the tax payer. I know many a person who turned on Reagan for that. They were not against immigrants, they just wanted them to come here legally. Like my grandparents were on a waiting list and had to have a sponsor, job and a certain amount of money to come in. I put a lot of the attitude about hispanics could be passed to Reagan.

I've been all over this country and most of Africa and South and Central America and there are problems if you aren't from there. Look at Spain, Germany, France and other countries in Europe on immigrants who aren't there legal. The more illegal immigrants each of these countries have as well as here the harder it is for legal immigrants. By the way I have a friend from Guatemala who lives here and he is very anti Mexico because how they have treated illegal immigrants, as well as legal.

So much of the problems could be avoided if we put to practise Lev. 19:33-34. I know this was to Israel but I agree, but to many of us want it our way and our right and don't care about the others. I know in ever country that I've lived I tried to assimilate into there culture and that cut down on many problems.

 

Imagine being a tax payer in South Fulton if they had fought the fire. "We pay $350,000 for a truck, $1000 for turn out gear for each firefighter, $2000 to $3000 for air packs for each interior firefighter, plus fuel, radios, hoses, nozzles, etc, and you use it to fight fire for someone who didn’t help pay for it ".

 

First, remember that not everyone in South Fulton paid for it. Second, remember this guy would have paid for it.

So can we stop with these kind of arguments that don't address the issue at hand? Are we really so selfish as to let a guy's house burn to the ground because he didn't pay his $75 and actually offered to pay more?

What about someone who just moved into the county a week ago. According to Carolina Baptist, the FD should not help him because he didn't help pay for anything.

Come on, now. We can do better than this.

 

Matthew 25:41-46 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

1 John 3:17-18 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

No one deserves to have their home burn to the ground. A 75 dollar fee for fire protection is just a bad as the Chicago mafia demanding protection money from homeowners and storeowners.

The strongarm tactics were unconstitutional then and this racqueteering and strongarm tactics by the city officials and the fire department is unconstitutional now.

 

Don't you just love it when people take verses out of context to try and prove their point? And, then try to declare something unconstitutional that isn't even addressed in the constitution? Thanks for the laugh Fred.

 

I agree with you here on the individual on the above. It is why I get a little upset with as many homeless we have and to get churches or individual to help. There just isn't much support. I believe any individual could have helped, they did do their job on the house next door, if I read the deal correctly. Any individual firefight if not engaged in work is free to work for free at putting out the fire, I believe.

For most of my adult life I've had to pay either there volunteer fire department or the nearest town's fire department for fire protection. That is just how life has been. Now since our little spot has grown into a city we have fire protection from the city, but due to the cost we have to rent our police protection.

By the way you can go to our court house most any work day and get a person's house for back taxes or for default on payments. We all hate to see the person or family lose their home but I've only seen a few time that someone has come and paid the bill for one of them.

I don't see the government going out often to help there people or government workers willing to work for nothing to help out. I do believe it all starts with the indivisial if he cares for betterment of others and is willing to give of his wealth and time to help out and get into polotics for the good of his neighbor rather than self, you will not see or hear of this story. Someone would have seen the person hadn't paid, so they would have paid it for them, if it fire protection taxes or house payment. It would be a great world.

 

Imagine being the home owner, "They paid $350,000 for a truck, $1000 for turn out gear for each firefighter, $2000 to $3000 for air packs for each interior firefighter, plus fuel, radios, hoses, nozzles, etc, and they won't use any of it to keep my house from burning to the ground."

Luke 10:30-37 NAS77
30 Jesus replied and said, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went off leaving him half dead.
31 "And by chance a certain priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 "And likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 "But a certain Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion,
34 and came to him, and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 "And on the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return, I will repay you.'
36 "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?"
37 And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."

​

What ever happened to mercy? It's not like the man was losing a shed and a lawn mower. His home was burning! The county stated in its own report about establishing a county-wide fire company, "Fire service is without question a basic life/property saving emergency service. It is no less important than law enforcement, rescue, and emergency medical services. No other emergency agency responds solely on a subscription basis, ability to pay basis or under the threat of not responding if you don’t pay your bill. Counties will be called upon to provide higher levels of fire protection services and must begin to plan for these issues prior to the occurrence of a crisis or catastrophe."

Losing your home to fire is indeed a catastrophe. madre and I lost our home and belongings to fire this past August. Without the quick intervention of the local volunteer fire company and two State Troopers we would have lost our lives as well. Two things I find hard to accept in this thread:

1. Any municipality that would turn out and watch a house burn. Making sure the fire didn't spread to the subscribing neighbor's property is of little consolation to the family losing their home.

2. Folk that would put a price tag on mercy - in this case $75.

If you think the fire company and the city were faultless in this I am afraid your milk of human kindness has curdled.

 

Many don't even know what mercy is.

 

It was called racketeering back in the 20's and 30's. Now, it is ok?

What has happened to America? our morals? Would Jesus have turned His back on this family and said, "You didn't pay protection money, you'll get no help from me."?

As one poster pointed out earlier, we are supposed to be neighbors to those in need. Is it neighborly to let a house burn? Is it really neighborly to say, "Tough luck! You didn't ante up protection money"?

I think not.

 

Charging a fee for services is not racketeering. If you choose not to purchase homeowner's insurance, should the insurance company pay for damages to your home?

Jesus said render to God what is God's and render to Caesar what is Caesar's.

Civil authorities are not required to be good neighbors. Jesus was speaking of individuals when He said "love your neighbor".

Cities cannot operate on nothing. That's why we pay city and county taxes. But if the community decides to not to tax for fire protection but to leave it to the individual to subscribe to the service for a fee, then the individual must live with the consequences of his decision.

It's amazing to me that even the poorest have cell phones and cable tv, but somehow can't afford basic necessities.

 

Civil authorities have a responsibility to protect and serve. This county establish a county-wide fire service in 1987 by passing a resolution. They stated that fire protection was as important as any of the other services such as police and rescue. Since 1987 the county has not done a single thing addressing what they deemed to be a vital service to the people of Obion County.

The county passed the 1987 resolution with six different funding scenarios none of which were pay and spray subscriptions. I know 37 pages is a lot to read through but take a few minutes and read the county report issued 21 years after the resolution was passed. It is obvious from the introduction the resolution was passed so rural folks would not fear that nobody would come if they called for help.

It amazes me how many folks on BB care more about the $75 subscription fee than a family losing their home and possessions. :BangHead:

 

Doesn't really amaze me, padre.

In today's society, the message is greed instead of need. It is selfish instead of selfless. It is ration instead of compassion.

 

The policy had been in effect for over 20 years according to that article. The homeowner said he "forgot" to pay for the service.

I wouldn't be surprised if he forgot his auto insurance as well.

This fellow was completely irresponsible. You don't allow yourself to forget something this important. And you don't build a trash fire near your house either.

But lo and behold, he had plenty of money to pay the fee when his house was on fire.

 

It amazes me how many ignore the established law. It is not the matter of the $75.00; it is the matter of the homeowner flaunting the law and the homeowner being IRRESPONSIBLE! :BangHead:

 

I thought they said the homeowner forgot to pay? Which is it? did he forget to pay? or did he flaunt the law?

Are we to assume every time someone forgets something unintentionally they are 'flaunting the law? Whatever happened to 'benefit of the doubt?

And again, when did that which was recognized as strongarm tactics and racketeering make a transition to being legal requirements?

 

There are some things you can't allow yourself to forget. If you own a home, you have to have insurance, and this is a form of insurance. If you drive a car you must have insurance, you can't allow yourself to forget.

He had insurance on his home, he didn't forget that. He should have paid the $75 yearly fee which is very reasonable. As was said before, this policy has been in effect for over 20 years, he really has no excuse. It's not like he found out about it the day of the fire.