Fire fighters do nothing while home burns (Page 1 of 2)

Complying with that policy must have killed the firefighters inside just a little.  There are few groups who are so eager to help others as firefighters. 

- Zurf

I live in Wisconsin most or all the Fire departments are volunteer and the ones that are not (Milwaukee) are paid but no real fireman would EVER let a house burn these people are real heros in my book they risk there lives for the good of the community.

My dad was a fire fighter his entire life, and retired as the Chief at McCord AFB.  This kind of stuff is unreal to me.  What is more unreal is that a municipality wouldn't provide police and fire services the old fashioned way. Through taxes.  This has the aroma of "private fire protection" which is really too close to "private police" for my tastes.

What's next? 

"This is the 911 operator, can I have your credit card information please?"

I am a firefighter so I will weigh in: This is the second time in this county that something like this has happened in the past year or so. Here is what you are not told: These people actually live outside the area that is covered by the nearest fire department. They do not pay for any fire protection at all. They have the choice to pay 75 bucks  a year to have the fire district respond to their house but choose not to. Then when a fire does break out they want the district to respond, without paying for protection, on other taxpayers dime, to fight their fire AND leave the fire district uncovered.

Is YOUR house worth paying 75 bucks a year to be protected? How much would you save in house insurance if you payed for this fire protection? You can pay 75 bucks a year and pray that you never need it or ignore the safety of you, your family and your neighbors and not pay...And then when your house burns; endangers you, your family and your neighbors you can lay the blame of your irresponsibility at the feet of the fire district that offered to protect your home if you did what the residents of the district do:PAY FOR FIRE PROTECTION.

I am sorry that a family has lost their home but they took the risk and chose not to do what most others do: Pay for fire protection. They wish to benefit from the largess of others, took a gamble and lost.  They even chose to forgo paying AFTER their neighbor's home (he refused to pay the fee) burned to the ground last year. How do they defend their rational for refusing to pay for a basic emergency service,which like all other fire departments now days, is underfunded?

I apologize if I sound uncaring and callous. I am not. I am tired of the media and public twisting facts and pointing fingers at public safety for the ills of our economy. These people made a CONSCIOUS decision NOT TO PAY for a basic service that every land owner must pay either in taxes or a fee and then they expect to get service on YOUR dime.

No firefighter likes to stand around and NOT do something. The debate between firefighters about both incidents is hot and heavy and not every one of us agrees as to what is right. What we do agree upon is this: If a homeowner/resident has the ability to provide fire protection to themselves why would they not do so? Are they lazy? Stupid? Trying to make a point?

Now that they have been caught with their pants down, lost their house and belongings, they have chosen to pass responsibility for their own irresponsibility upon the shoulders of the fire district.

While I am saddened that a family lost their home and troubled that the fire department would not do anything I am also pissed that the homeowners would make the choice that they did and then feel they are ENTITLED to services that they did not pay for yet expected to receive.

ON YOUR DIME.

Then when they did not, they bitch about it knowing the press would slant it as if it was the fire district's fault.

Is it really?

Sorry for the rant. I am tired of my brothers and sisters in the fire service (especially the public safety unions) being portrayed by the media and politicians as lazy, overpaid, over-benefited, pigs at the public trough.

Sigh....I will now step off my soapbox.

Anyone here from Tennessee? I was just wondering how this works. If you have a home fire how do the fire fighters know if you have paid or not? Do they take time to find this out before they dispatch the truck or do you have to prove you have paid when they get there? I am happy to say our guys would be dispatched instantly and any thing else would be tended to later. I'm just glad there was no one in this home that couldn't get out.

BunBun, I get it. Like you said, even firefighters disagree about this one. I think that, when you get the honor to  serve your community as a firefighter, you have an obligation to protect even the stupid, negligent and contemptuous. There has to be a way to sue for costs after the fact, even if it means taking a lien against the property. But I think this policy puts the firefighters in an awful position...you and I both know it KILLED them to park there and monitor the exposures while a home burned. There's gotta be a better way than that.

This story is really unbelievable to me. I live in the UK. Fire and Rescue are paid for directly from the tax we pay. As is our police service and health care. Even the thought of what amounts to a private rural fire service is completely alien. How can any property not be covered by the nearest dept. Does not compute in this small country.

Thank you for pointing that out. The line firefighters were not part of the decision making process. The decision not to do anything was made by pay grades higher than theirs. They would have fought this fire no matter who payed or how they paid.

I guess I am trying to say this: don't blame the firefighters blame those who make decisions that lead to these problems.

Sad, all the way around.  Sad that there's NOT a fire company covering this area.  I live in a rural area, and from what I understand about volunteer fire companies, the choice to have one in the district IS decided by the taxpayers.  Do they want to pay taxes to support a VOLUNTEER unit?  Clearly the people in this area chose NOT TO.  Since the majority chose NOT to pay taxes to have a company in their area, they were then each given the option to have a neighboring fire company cover their home individually, and these particular people chose NOT TO once again.  Like BunBun, I am really offended (for no reason other than making proper choices in life) that this story was written in a way that makes the firemen look bad.  Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely HATE paying taxes ... BUT... when I hear that siren go off you bet your buns I get out of their way on the road and am very thankful that they are there, have the proper supplies to put out fires, are so close, and that they have contracts with all the local districts in the event they need help... and all of this is covered by my taxes.  Mind you, my "area" is really quite SMALL!  But they're there, and that siren goes off every single day and there are other 2 other fire houses within 5 miles of my home.  I'm quite positive I pay MORE than $75 in taxes each year to support my local fire company.  It's really pathetic to me that someone wouldn't pay such a small fee and then spin a story around to make it look like it's someone's fault other than their own that no one put out their fire. 

I do agree with lvchief too... BUT, again it was these people's choice to NOT have coverage.  It's America and all, they have the right to choose to not ask for help in saving their home.  I'm sure if there were known live people inside the home the firemen would have had the "right" to save them and send a bill after the fact.  If THAT isn't written somewhere then there's a bigger problem than we all realize.

Amy

When a union defines the rules of the fire department, the public loses; every time.  It's not cost effective for the fire department to expend resources and put out your fire if you haven't paid the union tribute in advance.  Kinda sounds like the tax that non-muslims are forced to pay for the "privilege" of living in muslim countries...  just sayin'...

Well said, bunbun.