Fire Fighters Watch as House Burns

IMO, this is like a doctor refusing to help an accident victim in the street, because a bill can't be sent to him/her.

With first-responders, it is unethical (immoral?) to refuse to do whatever they can to assist in emergencies.

Grady wrote:

LadyJazzer wrote:
watch a man's home burn down because he didn't pay a fee on top of his taxes,

As I understand it, the home was located outside of the fire district, so no taxes that the homeowner paid went to support the fire district. However they could "buy in to" the district protection if they paid the $75 fee to the fire district. Shame on the home owner. And if they told their insurance company that they paid the fee and did not the insurance company may not cover their loss.

As a former volunteer fire fighter, I’m not sure I could or would have stood around.

Obviously, we don't know all the facts, but here's a what if: Maybe his payment got lost in the mail? Maybe he lost the bill for the Fire Department? Maybe he just forgot to pay the $75?

I find it unconscionable that the fire fighters just watched and prevented the fire from spreading, but I do understand they were probably under orders. It just seems such a severe penalty for such a paltry sum.

He was interviewed on TV last night and said that he "forgot to pay it--but offered to write them a check right then and there for the $75 if they would do their job." Obviously, they weren't interested in his $75, but in "sending a message."

Like I said, I would bet that the next step is a lawsuit from the insurance company, and possible animal-cruelty charges, at the very least.

And so the next couple of homeowners "forget" to pay their $75, knowing that the FD will come anyway and they can then write that check. Pretty soon nobody is paying the out of district fee, expecting the in-district taxpayers to front the FD expenses. If the homeowner does get his house rebuilt, which he may not, I bet he won’t forget to pay the out of district fee.
Animal cruelty charges against whom, the homeowner?

I wonder if the firefighters would have stood there and watched if there were children inside?

Discussion of this on the wildland firefighter forum - http://www.wildlandfire.com/hotlist/sho ... hp?t=16307