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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 Herb Genelly III on
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LMAO!
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Permalink Reply by Fireslayer960 on
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This is a little different Dawn. This was not an ESD it was a paid subscription service. The difference being, at least here in my state is, An ESD is an Emergency Service District. Everyone in our district has an ESD fee added to their property taxes, they have no choice, they HAVE to pay it. We used to have a subscription based service, much like this one. One where the homeowner voluntarily pays a subscription fee every year for fire service. Ironically, our situation was much like this is. Quite a few people would take the risk of not paying, but when they had a fire, we would extinguish it anyway.
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Permalink Reply by WestPhilly on
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And so not only have you joined this thread, you've joined the name-calling. (By the way, I've done the research. You're under the impression John Crabbe called you stupid and moronic. He didn't. But you did call Ben a "troll".)
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West, have I called you anything? Did I call John anything, even after his comment? Where I come from, when you say, "That statement was stupid and moronic" you ARE indeed implying that about the person making the statement. But in case you didnt notice, I did not resort to calling John names. Actually, to be honest I wanted to move past that and continue having a intelligent conversation with John.
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960,
I know you didn't call me or John anything. What I noticed and what I said is that you called Ben something. (troll)
And not only did John not call you stupid or moronic, he didn't imply it. You inferred it. That's on you.
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George,
There's no question that the guy really screwed up. But the video of what happened drew out a lot of emotion from folks that are wired one way.........to help first and ask questions later (I'm not saying that's good or bad). The Fulton FF's.......I can't imagine how big of a bummer this has been. All the time, effort, energy and training.........and good they do for free, yet politics and a cheapskate equaled disaster, non of which was their choosing.
Can I ask you a question regarding the Burn Ban? Would the local Air Pollution Control authorities (providing they have a system like that in Olbion) allow someone to burn a house down without permits? Also, if a burn ban was in effect at the time, what role does the FD have in the situation? In CA, if they are burning during a ban, we have to put it out. Thanks!
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Your comment is Stupid & Moronic. You aren't though.
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Herb,
To whom is your comment being directed?
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Fireslayer, I call B.S. on your entire rant there, and here's why...
"First off, for a guy who tried to present himself as some great expert on everything, it amazes me that you dont even notice it when you are being ignored, and up until now, that is exactly what I have been doing." I've never tried to present myself as anything except as a firefighter with an opinion, so that claim is bogus. I haven't been ignored...except, for a time, by you. Several people have replied to my posts. That doesn't equal "ignored". If you have been ignoring me, so what? That's your right. OOOOOH, I get it, this is all about YOU. Apparently YOU are the Great One and now you deign to notice me and respond. THANK YOU, OH GREAT ONE.
Then you attack me for a comment I didn't make. That's really bizzarre.
The "You are an idiot" has nothing to do with me, so why would you include it?
"I suggest in the future, you do the same because I do not shoot from the hip like you, I DO verify my statements." No you don't - and the immediate above statement is the evidence.
My statement that another poster's claim was based in fantasy wasn't condescending. It was accurate. The claim the other poster made was based on assumptions that were demonstrably not factual. The alternative to fact is fantasy.
My comment to the brother from New Zealand was also pertinent. He was advocating for a system like they have. Their economic system only works due to the large number of tourist dollars injected into their economy. Obion County doesn't have that advantage. My comment was intended to get the New Zealand poster to have a wider view of the situation. Funny how easy it is to insist that other people spend their money on a system, but then balk when they are asked to contribute your own money, don't you think.
"Refer to pages 14,16,17, and the list goes on" Those aren't specifics. The page numbers change as people post. How about you provide some specifics instead of a moving target? And then you could provide quotes from specific posts. Until you can provide the specifics to prove otherwise, I call B.S.
"If you dont like my findings, do the research yourself, the posts are all still there." That in response to your incomplete numbers??? You made the claim that 90% of the posters supported extinguishment. Really? Somehow "the rest of the posters" equals "90%" I don't remember "the rest" being either a percentage or a numeral in the Arabic number system. As for research, you made the claim, so the onus of proof is on you. You haven't yet met that onus, so I'll call B.S. until you can.
The IAFF President's statement included the following: "We condemn South Fulton’s ill-advised, unsafe policy. Professional, career fire fighters shouldn’t be forced to check a list before running out the door to see which homeowners have paid up."
The reason Schaitberger's comments are not pertinent is that South Fulton's firefighters are 100% VOLUNTEER. That's not just my opinion, it's the facts.
From Union City Chief Edmison's statement..."Union City, TN is the only full time staffed department in the county. The other 7 departments are volunteer departments;"
Others here, including Art have pointed out the hypocrisy in the IAFF statement, given their longstanding opposition to volunteer firefighters.
" But I know, according to the great Ben that becomes irrelevant because it doesnt share his viewpoint." No, Fireslayer, it is irrelevant because South Fulton isn't a career department like Schaitberger assumed it was. Harold didn't do his homework, he didn't have his facts straight, and that's why he is mistaken.
Further, this goes to your 90% claim above. Many of the posters here based their "extinguish it" on opinions that were not congruent with the facts. That doesn't exactly make those opinions reliable, and it certainly doesn't make them accurate.
Fireslayer, I have no obligation to agree with the "major voice of society" (there's another unprovable claim on your point" when their opinions are based on a) how it's done somewhere outside Obion County, b) when their opinions are based upon non-factual information, or c) when the opinions include obvious mistakes like confusing the city and county government responsibilities.
And Fireslayer, your claim that I just shoot from the hip is officially debunked. I provided links and direct quotes. You just provided vague accusations without specific evidence. That makes YOU gulity of your own "shoot from the hip" allegation. That's hypocritical, Fireslayer, and it doesn't make your claims credible.
The bottom line here is that you disagree with my statements. You want a simplistic answer that fits neatly with your preconceptions. It offends you when anyone shows you that the situation in Obion County doesn't fit your preconceptions, or the preconceptions of many who disagree with you.
And Fireslayer, you post an attack on me in a public forum and then want me to ignore it? That's pretty arrogant, don't you think? The apparent reality is that you have demonstrated that high opinion of yourself that you falsely claim that I have of myself.
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Wrong again, Herb. No wrath, just facts.
You know, statements in quotation marks, links to specific evidence, that kind of thing? The kind of thing that neither you or Fireslayer960 have demonstrated here?
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"This is a past practice issue because it can show that they are selective in who they will or won't help."
No so, MJ. It simply shows that they had a policy change. The former fire chief allowed retroactive subscription payments. That may have had a great deal to do with why he is the "former" fire chief.
The current fire chief simply enforced the existing policy. He can't be held accountable for the mistakes of a previous holder of his office.
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Ahhhh, the world according to Ben. Where's your logic when it comes to the Union FD Fire Chiefs comment that he would have put it out? Why not blast him too B man?
What I like about you is that you get so easily sucked in to the debate, as if what you say is important to any one else but you. We share an opinion on the thread......not life changing ideas.
Do you argue like you do here, in person; All your Straw man fallacy debunk zip zilch nadda diatribe?
I have an opinion, and you say you are expressing your opinion.....and we all know what opinions are like Ben.....LOL
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