Here's another story of a homeowner who didn't pay the subscription fee for fire protection, believing that, if he had a fire, the fire department would come anyway.

He was wrong.

This follows the same line of thinking of districts who shut down their departments, believing that, if they needed fire protection, they could rely on mutual aid.

What is wrong with that thinking?

Read the story from Tennessee: http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/Firefighters-watch-as-home-bur...

 

TCSS.

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J.E. What's the deal with posting personal data? These guys (the fire chief and town mayor) don't answer to you or anyone but their electorate. If the mayor's policy is not a hit, they can vote him out of office. The new guy can replace the fire chief.

As has been pointed out countless times already - the homeowner gets no vote as he lives outside the FD's district AND pays no money (taxes or otherwise) towards the fire department's operations.
Um, can you name some centralist libertarians? Rand Paul? Badinarik? I don't think so.

The Libertarian Party, while diverse, has a pretty extreme platform.
Another Obion County chief speaks out: http://www.ucfdtn.com/index.html
One thing I noted in the prior interview you linked, the chief said a few folks came down to his particular department to pay the "subscription", but he reminded them that they didn't have one (his department, as well as 4 others don't charge the fee).

There seems to be some real confusion in that county over fees, where the FD responds, and exactly what limitations there are. Kind of scary if you ask me!
Wade,

I think what's really got some folks upset, like me, is the footage of the engine crew watching, while the homeowner is pleading for help, the neighbor (who is a paid subscriber), is offering to pay the "actual" costs to put out the blaze, and the complete shock some of us feel to have to witness a persons home burn to the ground.
County government has done a very poor job of educating their residents. I think in parts of the county where they currently receive fire protection for "free" is going to be a tough sell on a tax.
Perhaps............But at a department I used to work, they just passed a hefty Special District tax, after they learned that the department would have to layoff FF's, and reduce services. Keep in mind that this area they serve is the poorest part of the county, with a 22% unemployment rate.

I wonder if it would have passed if the area was more affluent...LOL
Herb,

I understand the both sides of this discussion. I have my own feelings on it, that I will not go into, because everything that I would have to say has already been said. On that note my comment was simply addressing the fact that this discussion and the other threads on this topic are going in circles. This topic is turning into a mirror image of political, or religious discussions. Everyone has their own views and nothing anyone else can say will change that, which means that this thread will go on forever with people simply repeating everything that has already been said.

Hence the groundhog day reference.

TCSS
I agree. I got caught up in the madness too. And to be clear...........I do NOT blame the guys following orders, but I feel for a homeowner who lost everything too. (They got the bad end of the stick IMHO.....with the FF's taking the brunt of the publics wrath)

But the positive side for me has been that Chief Reason (Art) has been providing constant updates by providing links of new interview footage and articles about the incident. I've got to see how severely underfunded these departments are, and how hard these FF's have worked to get a fair county-wide funded program started, so that they can respond to calls without having to check who has paid a fee or not.

Some of these departments keep the doors open with as little as $700 a month! The county they operate in has put at HUGE burden on these departments, by not acting on a comprehensive plan the county chief's have worked on over the past 4 years. To ad to the stress and confusion, some residents have tried to pay the "subscription", only to be told that they don't have to, as there are 5 neighboring departments that don't operate on the subscription plan...YET.

Anyway, thanks for your post, and TGIF!
And now; Obion County is set to vote on county wide SUBSCRIPTION on Oct. 18th.
Sounds like the county might need a new county board.
Art,

I watched the interview (you posted) with the Chief from another department. What can you say, four years of effort to come up with a workable program of coverage for everyone and the County Mayor/Commissioner's ultimate decision is to go to subscription. Those positions must pay well enough that they don't want to be booted out next election because they created another tax for their constituents. Forward thinking while facing backwards is NOT forward thinking.
Yes had they have been paged out to responde then they are covered but if someone calls 911 and in their computers at dispatch it shows who payed and who didn't then they won't page them to respond.This whole thing is mentally handicapped(to be politically correct) but I blame buddy who purposly didn't pay and then it was a holly S**t I should have paid and I will pay just please come i'm sorry I didn't pay attitude.One has to wonder if his house will actually be covered by his insurance for not paying for his fire subscription fee having that option available and basically admitting on TV that he gambled by not paying.

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