It is unbelievable to me that this so called Chief Wilds had the audacity to allow this family’s modest home to burn to the ground. It is disgusting and a blot on the good people of TN who have common sense and compassion. For the lack of $75 this fool of a chief acted like a liberal democrat who is an idiot. He should be fired, disgraced and appalled by the people of South Fulton.
Yes, you lack both decency, common sense, and the ability to show some kind of compassion. I am sure as the home owner begged for the assistance of the firemen and pleaded to pay the $75 he owed, it was refreshing to watch him suffer. Those who point to the need to provide for the expenses of the fire department overlooked this fact. The man admitted his error and asked for help and he was ignored. Horrific behaviour of the fire chief cannot be dismissed. He should be fired and his subordinates that supported this demonstration of utter disregard.
This is no different than any other financial transaction. If I am hungry and can’t pay for food, my grocer does not feed me. If I do not pay my utility bill, I am cut off. If I do not pay my insurance bill, I am cancelled. They messed up, they suffer the consequences. There is really no debate here.
I am truly sorry for their loss and not without empathy, but they could have avoided this problem.
Hey, JC…guess what…we DO all pay for the coastal home, we DO all pay for the flooding on the Mississippi if not in subsidies to NFIP, in the portion of our taxes that go to FEMA and most assuredly when our premiums increase to cover the assessments of the underfunded state pools, artificially depressed for political reasons. And we will ALWAYS pay for that because the states (and citizens within them) most often calling for less government and personal responsibility and states rights ALWAYS have their hands out for fed money, or BP money, or want to expand coverage that we ALL pay for rebuilding the same homes over and over and over because they are built to close to the sea…As well as the demographic fact that most of our population lives close to the coast…a fact of life and a fact that affects our society and where our tax monies go. this is not going to change. Look at the demographics……
And ANYWAY, this is NOT an issue of INSURANCE but governmental service NOT rendered by a department charged with saving life and property by their very existence. There is no one else, apparently, to provide this service except the Fulton FD. This is a necessary service. Since no one can really fight fires on their own, the county is totally ingenuous in not making those who must pay Fulton City ALL pay and on a tax bill, as other entities do most often. But to applaud this FPD for standing there doing nothing while someone’s home and hearth burned is sheer idiocy. What if someone actually had been in the house….were they going to watch that burn, too…over a $75 fee??? that the homeowner had paid in the past probably for years…since the article states they had lived in the home for 21 years and had also missed paying once before and the FD did put out the fire?
Get serious.
Kevin, we ALL support the brave fire fighters; that is not the issue and never was. Yes, out here where I live, firement DO go in to fires to save pets and animals. They even have special oxygen masks for pets…and I live in a semi rural area with a volunteer FPD…that I pay for on my tax bill. Yes, they DO come and get cats out of trees. But in life or death situation, I would not want to endanger a fireman to save a cat or dog. THAT is not what we are arguing about here.
JC if this makes me a bleeding heart because these folks who had lived there for years and had paid the fee prior were never given the benefit of the doubt by the fire chief, then I will BLEED away, any day, any time.
We don’t live in a perfect world. People make mistakes. They take risks which are foolish.
Many have argued, why should my tax dollars go to pay for someone who didn’t pay. It is a good point.
A few have been very unprofessional.
The argument could be made for the following:
1. Why should my tax dollars go to provide food to the people of New Orleans that failed to leave or prepare for a disaster?
2. Why should my tax dollars go to rescue a mountain climber?
3. Why should my tax dollars go to save a sinking yacht or a milllion dollar beach house?
4. Why should my tax dollars go to pay for abortions?
5. Why should my tax dollars go to subsidize slum lords (welfare capitlaize)?
6. Why should my tax dollars be used to develop a third world country?
As a business person, I spend numerous hours assisting insurance, real estate, tax payers, etc which may lead to a sell of a product or service.
Every organization including government is in the business of solving the customer’s problem. Whether its an insurance company accepting the financial exposure being transfered by a client; a school system educating our children; the Federal government defending our freedoms or the pizza delivery person bring pizza, your business is to solve the customer’s problem. When you fail to do this basic function, you’re out of business.
Most of the comments are really not directed toward this irresponsible homeowner or to the callus Fire Chief. The basic frustration is simply, I tired of being my brother’s keeper. I have carried him, provided for him and he still won’t carry his load! And, he is bankrupting me.
so we in our right minds think it’s ok not to save a house that puts a roof over somebody’s head. provides protection from the elements. the children have a home to grow up in.
according to the article, the firefighters said that the house could have been saved. they were out there only because of a possible brush fire. so, if you already are on the scene, you could have spared the house from total destruction.
so we sat there and watch the house burn. did we sit and have smores? what a waste of time!
are you going to tell me that this subscriber fee applies to emt services? police services? what happen to the creed of protecting your neighbor. back in the old days, there would have been a bucket brigade.
granted this happen to folks before, but with today’s economy would it not have been better served to have saved their house? here’s what is interesting – think about this – if the insurance paid off the loan on the house because of the fire, then why did the insurance folks not pay for fire services that could have been rendered? it probably would have paid, if there was a possible loss of human life because they would have had to fight the fire.
so they were caught in a conundrum. but when you stop and think about it, would not compassion have played the better choice? i think this should be a lesson for the county, to provide better protection and possibly include a fee in some form of property tax. afterall, $75 is an easy cost versus $28,000 or more.
now think, if the fire chief’s house was on fire and he had not paid the fee – what do you think that answer would be? fight the fire or just let it burn?
According to the article, “The Cranicks said they also forgot to pay their fire service fee on time about three years ago. But the fire department then did not hesitate to put out a chimney fire and let them pay the fee the next day.”
I would expect the FD had also done something like this for others, and this sets up a reasonable expectation for service, along with payment after the fact for services rendered, just like an unwritten contract. The fact that the department decided to ignore THIS time breaks that unwritten contract — and is, imho, grounds for a lawsuit.
Unwritten contracts, in many states are as legally binding as written contracts. And in this case, the FD had a previously adhered to a different standard than the one established.
Was the city offering to take on the county’s fire protection on a subscription basis. This is not the first time this has happened. Won’t be the last. And what will people think when they get their records mixed up and refuse to put out a fire at a home that actually did pay? Dumb.
I am pleased Alex has realized he needs to become a volunteer firefighter in his community so he can help others.
As a Fire District in NJ, we struggle every year to keep our budget as low as possible, having the second lowest budget in the county and yet more than a third of the taxpayers are unwilling to vote for the budget. Of course, we still respond and put out fires for the State group homes, churches and other tax-exempt properties and even those that are behind in paying property taxes.
Everyone should be entitled to fire protection and it appears that it is available for a $75 per year fee. America is about freedom of choice. If their house had not burned, would there be a discussion about how they saved money in tight economic times by recognizing that the chance of a house fire in any given year is very small?
The issue here is one of personal responsibility. The government is not your parent. They are not here to keep you from making mistakes or to take care of you. You screw up, you pay the price for your mistake.
I bet the neighbors are all up to date on the service fee now!
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It is unbelievable to me that this so called Chief Wilds had the audacity to allow this family’s modest home to burn to the ground. It is disgusting and a blot on the good people of TN who have common sense and compassion. For the lack of $75 this fool of a chief acted like a liberal democrat who is an idiot. He should be fired, disgraced and appalled by the people of South Fulton.
Yes, you lack both decency, common sense, and the ability to show some kind of compassion. I am sure as the home owner begged for the assistance of the firemen and pleaded to pay the $75 he owed, it was refreshing to watch him suffer. Those who point to the need to provide for the expenses of the fire department overlooked this fact. The man admitted his error and asked for help and he was ignored. Horrific behaviour of the fire chief cannot be dismissed. He should be fired and his subordinates that supported this demonstration of utter disregard.
This is no different than any other financial transaction. If I am hungry and can’t pay for food, my grocer does not feed me. If I do not pay my utility bill, I am cut off. If I do not pay my insurance bill, I am cancelled. They messed up, they suffer the consequences. There is really no debate here.
I am truly sorry for their loss and not without empathy, but they could have avoided this problem.
It’s the “liberal democRATS” fees and taxes on everything that is to blame.
Hey, JC…guess what…we DO all pay for the coastal home, we DO all pay for the flooding on the Mississippi if not in subsidies to NFIP, in the portion of our taxes that go to FEMA and most assuredly when our premiums increase to cover the assessments of the underfunded state pools, artificially depressed for political reasons. And we will ALWAYS pay for that because the states (and citizens within them) most often calling for less government and personal responsibility and states rights ALWAYS have their hands out for fed money, or BP money, or want to expand coverage that we ALL pay for rebuilding the same homes over and over and over because they are built to close to the sea…As well as the demographic fact that most of our population lives close to the coast…a fact of life and a fact that affects our society and where our tax monies go. this is not going to change. Look at the demographics……
And ANYWAY, this is NOT an issue of INSURANCE but governmental service NOT rendered by a department charged with saving life and property by their very existence. There is no one else, apparently, to provide this service except the Fulton FD. This is a necessary service. Since no one can really fight fires on their own, the county is totally ingenuous in not making those who must pay Fulton City ALL pay and on a tax bill, as other entities do most often. But to applaud this FPD for standing there doing nothing while someone’s home and hearth burned is sheer idiocy. What if someone actually had been in the house….were they going to watch that burn, too…over a $75 fee??? that the homeowner had paid in the past probably for years…since the article states they had lived in the home for 21 years and had also missed paying once before and the FD did put out the fire?
Get serious.
Kevin, we ALL support the brave fire fighters; that is not the issue and never was. Yes, out here where I live, firement DO go in to fires to save pets and animals. They even have special oxygen masks for pets…and I live in a semi rural area with a volunteer FPD…that I pay for on my tax bill. Yes, they DO come and get cats out of trees. But in life or death situation, I would not want to endanger a fireman to save a cat or dog. THAT is not what we are arguing about here.
JC if this makes me a bleeding heart because these folks who had lived there for years and had paid the fee prior were never given the benefit of the doubt by the fire chief, then I will BLEED away, any day, any time.
We don’t live in a perfect world. People make mistakes. They take risks which are foolish.
Many have argued, why should my tax dollars go to pay for someone who didn’t pay. It is a good point.
A few have been very unprofessional.
The argument could be made for the following:
1. Why should my tax dollars go to provide food to the people of New Orleans that failed to leave or prepare for a disaster?
2. Why should my tax dollars go to rescue a mountain climber?
3. Why should my tax dollars go to save a sinking yacht or a milllion dollar beach house?
4. Why should my tax dollars go to pay for abortions?
5. Why should my tax dollars go to subsidize slum lords (welfare capitlaize)?
6. Why should my tax dollars be used to develop a third world country?
As a business person, I spend numerous hours assisting insurance, real estate, tax payers, etc which may lead to a sell of a product or service.
Every organization including government is in the business of solving the customer’s problem. Whether its an insurance company accepting the financial exposure being transfered by a client; a school system educating our children; the Federal government defending our freedoms or the pizza delivery person bring pizza, your business is to solve the customer’s problem. When you fail to do this basic function, you’re out of business.
Most of the comments are really not directed toward this irresponsible homeowner or to the callus Fire Chief. The basic frustration is simply, I tired of being my brother’s keeper. I have carried him, provided for him and he still won’t carry his load! And, he is bankrupting me.
I hope it sums it up!
so we in our right minds think it’s ok not to save a house that puts a roof over somebody’s head. provides protection from the elements. the children have a home to grow up in.
according to the article, the firefighters said that the house could have been saved. they were out there only because of a possible brush fire. so, if you already are on the scene, you could have spared the house from total destruction.
so we sat there and watch the house burn. did we sit and have smores? what a waste of time!
are you going to tell me that this subscriber fee applies to emt services? police services? what happen to the creed of protecting your neighbor. back in the old days, there would have been a bucket brigade.
granted this happen to folks before, but with today’s economy would it not have been better served to have saved their house? here’s what is interesting – think about this – if the insurance paid off the loan on the house because of the fire, then why did the insurance folks not pay for fire services that could have been rendered? it probably would have paid, if there was a possible loss of human life because they would have had to fight the fire.
so they were caught in a conundrum. but when you stop and think about it, would not compassion have played the better choice? i think this should be a lesson for the county, to provide better protection and possibly include a fee in some form of property tax. afterall, $75 is an easy cost versus $28,000 or more.
now think, if the fire chief’s house was on fire and he had not paid the fee – what do you think that answer would be? fight the fire or just let it burn?
According to the article, “The Cranicks said they also forgot to pay their fire service fee on time about three years ago. But the fire department then did not hesitate to put out a chimney fire and let them pay the fee the next day.”
I would expect the FD had also done something like this for others, and this sets up a reasonable expectation for service, along with payment after the fact for services rendered, just like an unwritten contract. The fact that the department decided to ignore THIS time breaks that unwritten contract — and is, imho, grounds for a lawsuit.
Unwritten contracts, in many states are as legally binding as written contracts. And in this case, the FD had a previously adhered to a different standard than the one established.
Was the city offering to take on the county’s fire protection on a subscription basis. This is not the first time this has happened. Won’t be the last. And what will people think when they get their records mixed up and refuse to put out a fire at a home that actually did pay? Dumb.
I am pleased Alex has realized he needs to become a volunteer firefighter in his community so he can help others.
As a Fire District in NJ, we struggle every year to keep our budget as low as possible, having the second lowest budget in the county and yet more than a third of the taxpayers are unwilling to vote for the budget. Of course, we still respond and put out fires for the State group homes, churches and other tax-exempt properties and even those that are behind in paying property taxes.
Everyone should be entitled to fire protection and it appears that it is available for a $75 per year fee. America is about freedom of choice. If their house had not burned, would there be a discussion about how they saved money in tight economic times by recognizing that the chance of a house fire in any given year is very small?
The issue here is one of personal responsibility. The government is not your parent. They are not here to keep you from making mistakes or to take care of you. You screw up, you pay the price for your mistake.
I bet the neighbors are all up to date on the service fee now!