Firefighters watch as home burns to the ground

www.wpsdlocal6.com...

OBION COUNTY, Tenn. - Imagine 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.

A taste of what you'd get with privatized fire-fighting services.

reply to post by NoHierarchy

Holly crap when did the mafia get into the fire fighting gig.
"This is what will happen if you dont pay your protection isnt that right Viddo"

Imagine how cruel you would have to be to stand there with a hose and watch 3 dogs and a cat burn up. How could every firefighter there be so blindly obediant? There will be hell to pay. The guy had the money and had always paid.

He chose not to pay the fire department. That's his perogative. I won't feel sorry him. Actually I'm quite jealous he has that arrangement rather than the forced payment by taxation.

Same thing for those 20 something triathletes eating tofu and wheat grass who choose not to by health insurance then complain when they're diagnosed with cancer and can't get insurance due to their pre-existing condition.

Be happy when you're free. Don't complain when you freely make a poor decision and the consequences of that freedom bite you in the ass.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


He forgot to pay, simple as that. He offered, they all refused. His son punched the fire chief. I would have too. Let he who never makes a mistake be the first to watch as his neihbor's house burns to the ground.

Reply to post by earthdude

That's where I would have done differently. You forgot to pay chose not to pay that's fine. But since the fire dept is there anyway why not charge $150 and call it an "emergency fee" or something like that?

They missed an opportunity to appease both parties.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Certainly this homeowner has insurance....or did they choose not to pay that too?

I would like to see what the insurance company says about it. I bet they give him nothing

Well I knew some places you have to pay for "fire protection", but usually they do their jobs and the bill you at a ridiculous rate!

Tennessee Man Gets $19,000 Bill for Firefighting Operations

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - A Knox County man whose house caught fire in January has received a $19,000 firefighting bill.

WVLT-TV reported Chris Curl was flabberghasted at the charge, but Rural/Metro Fire Chief Jerry Harnish says such charges are common.

The station reported Curl lives outside Knoxville city limits. The company contracts for emergency services within the city. People who live outside of it can subscribe for fire protection, but Curl said he had no idea he had to pay for it.

Source

And now this is in the Knoxville news today:
Karns Volunteer Fire Department to start charging fees

A Knox County volunteer fire department in danger of closing has decided to start charging residents.
...................
Chief Marston says the membership rate will be reasonable, less than what Knoxville city residents pay for fire service on their property taxes and almost half what Rural/Metro charges in other parts of the county.

"You don't have to join, but if you don't join and you use the fire department, then you're going to be billed for the services," he said. "It's about $2,200 per hour for a fire call. It's about $800 an hour for a rescue call involving a traffic accident, $1,500 if we have to do an extrication, or you can join the department for as little as $100 for a 1,500 square foot home and you're covered."

Source

Pay your taxes, then pay corporate memberships or VFD memberships and maybe, just maybe, you might be covered.

Originally posted by NoHierarchy
www.wpsdlocal6.com...

OBION COUNTY, Tenn. - Imagine 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.

A taste of what you'd get with privatized fire-fighting services.

How awesome is that.

I'm not sure what you are upset about.

The Cranicks didn't pay, so they get no service.

I think we should apply this principle to welfare, social security, police, and national defense as well.

You if you don't pay a subscription fee for those services, you don't get to enjoy them.

This would allow us to abandon the violent IRS and income tax which strips working class people of their wealth and property by force.

Originally posted by mikellmikell
I would like to see what the insurance company says about it. I bet they give him nothing

I was thinking about this. Here are my thoughts, as a former insurance adjuster:

1. Deny coverage for not taking steps to mitigate the loss. However this won't work. The loss was the fire and the homeowner attempted to put the fire out with his garden hose.

2. There is no exclusion for failing to take preventative measures (i.e., smoke detectors, paying for fire/rescue service)

3. There is no policy exclusion for stupidity;

So I say the insurance company is stuck with the bill. However, this homeowner will NEVER find reasonably priced insurance coverage again; if they can find coverage at all.

Originally posted by Aggie Man

Originally posted by mikellmikell
I would like to see what the insurance company says about it. I bet they give him nothing

I was thinking about this. Here are my thoughts, as a former insurance adjuster:

1. Deny coverage for not taking steps to mitigate the loss. However this won't work. The loss was the fire and the homeowner attempted to put the fire out with his garden hose.

2. There is no exclusion for failing to take preventative measures (i.e., smoke detectors, paying for fire/rescue service)

3. There is no policy exclusion for stupidity;

So I say the insurance company is stuck with the bill. However, this homeowner will NEVER find reasonably priced insurance coverage again; if they can find coverage at all.

Yeah, it might be a one time hit for the insurance agency.

I'm sure insurance companies are adjusting their policies right now to mandate that if fee based fire service is available, it must be purchased before coverage will be granted.

Either that, or they will stipulate some outrageous rate if there is no fire service covering the house.

Their pets burned alive while this was going on.

That is the most disgusting aspect of this story.

reply to post by Fractured.Facade


I wonder if there were cops on the scene threatening to arrest or tase him if he went ahead and tried to go back in as there so often are?

They should have at least put out the fire, did an investigation, and then determinned if theman should havebeen billed or not.

another line.

I wonder....if the homeowner had lied and said that someone was trapped inside...would the fire dept. then have been obligated to put out the fire...or would they still sit idly while a human life was lost? Would the firefighters have broke protocol and pull a "good Samaritan" act of kindness?

More here...

www.msnbc.msn.com...

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.

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.

There is a video on the page as well.

Originally posted by Fractured.Facade
Their pets burned alive while this was going on.

That is the most disgusting aspect of this story.

Normally its the lefties that are beotching and moaning about tax cheats not paying their fair share.

This time, I actually get to say "they didn't pay their fair share" so they should get no service.

Pets be damned. The man elected to take total responsibility for fire protection upon himself, and his property suffered the consequences of his ill fated choices.

key word for the day boys and girls is: RESPONSIBILITY

If you don't pay, you shouldn't expect service.

Moral of story, buy a wrench that operates a fire hydrant, buy a hose that connects to said hydrant, tell them to go screw themselves. I wonder if the fire department will be called in by the authorities to conduct an arson test? I'd have them arrested for trespassing. My father was a firefighter for 25yrs and I can guarantee you he would have put a hose on that fire paid or unpaid, the trucks were there so I cannot see how this can't be called negligence? Especially if someone was in the house this story is just disgusting in every way imaginable. The laws in this world are so jacked up anymore. A person with a class a license is obligated by law to stop at the scene of an accident if first responders are not on scene yet and help someone who might be injured or secure the scene, yes failure to do so can be considered negligence, yet responders that are trained to fight fires can opt-not to put a fire out due to failure of someone paying into a private fire department?

reply to post by mnemeth1


I have to agree with you.

The 75 dollars is a sort of a fire insurance. If your house burns to the ground and you don't have fire insurance, you can't call the insurance agency and say you will buy the policy if they will take care of their already burned house.