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Tennessee Firefighters Let Home Burn Over Subscription Issue
JASON HIBBS
WPSD
Reprinted with Permission
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.
Related
- WPSD: Firefighters Watch as Home Burns to the Ground
- WPSD: More Fallout Following House Fire
- USAToday: Firefighters watch house burn because owner hadn't paid $...
- MSNBC: No pay, no spray: Firefighters let home burn
FireEMSBlogs.com Updates
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.
The mayor said if homeowners don't pay, they're out of luck.
This fire went on for hours because garden hoses just wouldn't put it out. It wasn't until that fire spread to a neighbor's property, that anyone would respond.
Turns out, the neighbor had paid the fee.
"I thought they'd come out and put it out, even if you hadn't paid your $75, but I was wrong," said Gene Cranick.
Because of that, not much is left of Cranick's house.
They called 911 several times, and initially the South Fulton Fire Department would not come.
The Cranicks told 9-1-1 they would pay firefighters, whatever the cost, to stop the fire before it spread to their house.
"When I called I told them that. My grandson had already called there and he thought that when I got here I could get something done, I couldn't," Paulette Cranick.
It was only when a neighbor's field caught fire, a neighbor who had paid the county fire service fee, that the department responded. Gene Cranick asked the fire chief to make an exception and save his home, the chief wouldn't.
We asked him why.
He wouldn't talk to us and called police to have us escorted off the property. Police never came but firefighters quickly left the scene. Meanwhile, the Cranick home continued to burn.
We asked the mayor of South Fulton if the chief could have made an exception.
"Anybody that's not in the city of South Fulton, it's a service we offer, either they accept it or they don't," Mayor David Crocker said.
Friends and neighbors said it's a cruel and dangerous city policy but the Cranicks don't blame the firefighters themselves. They blame the people in charge.
"They're doing their job," Paulette Cranick said of the firefighters. "They're doing what they are told to do. It's not their fault."
To give you an idea of just how intense the feelings got in this situation, soon after the fire department returned to the station, the Obion County Sheriff's Department said someone went there and assaulted one of the firefighters.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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Would the Mayor of that city really fire his chief for helping someone when his allready there...
Chiefs have been fired for less. If the mayor is setting the policy and sticking to the rules, really the ONLY person to be blamed is the guy who didn't pay the subscription.
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So if somebody was trapped they would do the same thing?
Nobody was trapped, so the what if doesn't apply. Life trumps money, so even if that was the case, there is a duty to try and save a savable life....there is no obligation to protect property in such a case.
Not one of them should ever call them self's a firefighter!!! No firefighter would every just stand there and let somebody's house burn down for $75. Every one of them should hand in their gear and NEVER step foot into a fire house again as long as they live!!!
It is also called following orders. If one believes that orders can be dismissed and freelancing encouraged, then those are the ones who should turn in their gear. It is the policy and decision of the elected officials as well as the public themselves who wanted this policy, so why is the blame of the FFs? It shouldn't be, they did their job and followed orders......give it up with the "shouldn't call themselves FFs" crap already.
Put it out and let the city fight about it.
Have you ever considered they have done so in the past and have fought about it in the past before making knee jerk reaction comments? It has been noted by the city they couldn't continue operating with the limited funds it receives. They stuck to the letter of the policy, perhaps now people will start to listen, vs expecting FREE services.
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Permalink Reply by M.J. 6821 on
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How can they be a paid dept with that staff and only have a budget of $8,000 like others have stated?
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Permalink Reply by Brian Davis on
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Hornbeak has the 8000.00 budget. not sf fd. chief reavis is the chief of hornbeak fire.
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Permalink Reply by Fireslayer960 on
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John,
I know we were going to try and stay away from the "what if" scenario, and that we both agree that circumstances that created this issue are 100% the homeowners fault, but, due to that fact that were we disagree lies in the fact that I believe that the house should have been extinguished regardless of subscriptions, taxes, money,,I have to ask. What if this had been a family that is suffering from the economic downturn and simply could not have afforded to pay the fee? What then? Would you extinguish it?
My point is, Volunteer departments ( like SFFD) were created because of this very issue. The paid department would not extinguish a fire if that homeowner had not paid his fire tax. That was why the volunteers stepped up to the plate in the first place.
So, simply put, poor family, would you put it out? Yes or no?
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Permalink Reply by Richard Armstrong on
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Not a valid question cause the guy openly admitted he gambled by not paying it cause he thought they would come anyway
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It is a valid question. The question was not, what if this had been a poor persons house, the question is, what if there IS a fire at a poor persons house?
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Permalink Reply by Herb Genelly III on
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The Fire-service: 100 Years of Tradition unimpeded by progress......LOL (I think I stole that from Back Draft...but I'm not 100% sure)
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What if this had been a family that is suffering from the economic downturn and simply could not have afforded to pay the fee? What then? Would you extinguish it?
That goes back to something mentioned long ago in this discussion. If that is the case, then such a family should not have cable or satellite TV, cell phone, internet, high end electronics, etc, etc, etc, because it goes to the difference of a want and a need.
Secondly, they are still living in an area with subscription service, it is not the fire depts job to determine the reason someone couldn't pay the bill. They live somewhere with such a policy, then expect said policy to be enforced.
My point is, Volunteer departments ( like SFFD) were created because of this very issue. The paid department would not extinguish a fire if that homeowner had not paid his fire tax. That was why the volunteers stepped up to the plate in the first place.
Volunteer depts were NOT created because of this issue. That is a stupid, moronic remark and a huge fallicy. Even volunteer depts have to contend with money issues and endure costs for operations, don't act as though this is why volunteer depts came about.
Having a volunteer, combination, or career dept is up to the community given the population, risks, hazards, etc. In some places a volunteer dept is adequate, in other places there is a need for FT people. In this area there is NO fire protection whatsoever and the community decided it is best to subscribe services with an already existing communities fire dept for services. If they choose not to subscribe for whatever reason, there is NO obligation for a dept to respond, regardless if it is volly, combo, or career.
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Permalink Reply by Robert jacobs on
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Geeez Rich thought they would come anyway...ahh yeah this guy is a 100% drain on the system,a freeloader so to speak wonder way he thought they would came anyway....because thats what Firemen do yyyeeeaaaaahhhhhhhh thats it,what they do,those guys WERE they and did nothing the chief packed up his boys when they were allready there and left him to burn,that will show those people that we mean it,you pay or you dont get help and I thought the "outfit"around Chicago was tough.You guys read alot of books take alot of tests on how this job should be done,you guys are all by the book,well the book doesnt have everything when you learn that one the better you'll be.Just remember "Adapt and overcome"...use common sense..and my favorite one taught to me a long time ago.."Those that can do..do.Those that cant..teach"
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Permalink Reply by Rogelio De La Cruz on
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I agree that it is difficult to watch a house burn to the ground. I also believe that it is difficult to run a fire department with firefighters who would rather disobey orders than look bad in front of thier friends Firefighters follow orders unless the orders are harmful to the firefighter, then they can be questioned. I think that the community should have a contingency for such occurances, such as a hefty fine for responding to a non covered structure. Hefty enough to encourage most homeowners to pay. Hopefully in the Tennessee community the "It can't happen to me," mentality has been taken care of.
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You know, up until now I was avoiding the other two who are DEAD wrong on this issue, but I thought you had some class and intelligence to your responses. I didnt make it up, I am NOT a moron, nor am I stupid. I will not bother with giving percentages because you guys will resort to, "It isnt 90% who disagee" But the fact remains that the MAJORITY of these posts, the majority of the Public, and the majority of Firefighters ALL SAY, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXTINGUISHED! PERIOD! Go back and reread EVERY thread, I DID. And when you do, try not to count every thread you posted, or every thread I posted, we only count for one opinion each, so our multiple threads only count as one. With that said, I liked you better when you showed respect in your responses and didnt resort to name calling just to dilute the subject matter. But hey, if you want to resort to name calling, well, Read up on Volunteer fire history, and then toss out your insults. Sure, there were also other reasons, but I didnt pull that fact out of my hat.
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