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IAFF Condemns Tennessee House Fire Policy
TODD FAULKNER
WPSD
Reprinted with Permission
PADUCAH - A local fire department's decision to let a home burn is attracting national attention and sparking national debate.
A firefighters group is lashing out against members of their own. The International Association of Fire Fighters is condemning the South Fulton Fire Department for their actions last week.
Fire crews refused to put out a house fire in Obion County, Tennessee, because the owner did not pay the $75 coverage fee. The Association's general president released a statement Tuesday on the city's policy of subscription fire service.
The IAFF statement reads, in part, "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. They get in their trucks and go."
The statement also reads, "Because of South Fulton's pay-to-play policy, fire fighters were ordered to stand and watch a family lose its home."
Todd Cranick, son of Gene Cranick, tells Local 6 that his parents have received several thousand dollars from the insurance company to cover immediate costs. Cranick went on to say that the insurance plans on covering all damage and property losses. Right now, there is no fund set up to help the Cranick family.
The IAFF is headquartered in Washington, D.C., representing nearly 300,000 full-time professional firefighters and paramedics.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Vic Silverfish on
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Isn't that the media's job?
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Local taxes pay for federal foreign investments? Cool. If your claim is accurate, all I have to do is to get my town to stop sending my local taxes to Washington and then we can have our own town army, navy, air force, and nuclear weapons. COOL, very, very cool.
Or, maybe local taxes are all spent locally just stays local since there are other taxes that pay for state and federal projects.
If local taxes really do pay for international rebuilding projects, I'd really like to see some evidence to back your claim.
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The "extinguish, then bill afterwards" policy had already been tried in Obion County and it had already failed due to a low collection rate.
The other situation you bring up is hypothetical and did not occur. The South Fulton FD has a policy to respond to life threats regardless of subscription status.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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Jeff,
You do understand this topic has been ongoing for some time now and several threads on this topic alone with hundreds of posts, right? What I mean is that if you took the time to read all the comments, you would see much of what you are talking about has been covered.
The issue with the pay afterthought of non subscribers has only gone so far in these cases because depts didn't always get reimbursed. Secondly there is no duty to act to save property of a person who chooses not to pay a subscription. It isn't right for another community and those who do subscribe, to shoulder the financial burden so people don't pay, but still receive services.
As for if someone was trapped etc, that does change things and would respond accordinly. In this case that wasn't the issue, this was about property, of which, there was no obligation to save that.
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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ed,
The ones that bother to read and understand all of the facts, are.
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Jack,
I thought I'd see a question from you on that one, not a statement.
I thought the question would include a little snarkasm, too.
Is this the new kinder, gentler Jack/dt?
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"...we need to remember though that we are here to provide an emergency service."
So, Jeff, does your fire department provide free services outside of it's jurisdiction?
If not, then your comment isn't very meaningful, because that's exactly what you seem to be asking the South Fulton FD to do.
South Fulton DOES provide emergency serivces. The provide them every day to the taxpayers inside their city limits, and they provide them to their subsdribers outside their city limits.
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Permalink Reply by Larry W. Lankford on
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This is a mess...... What are we doing? Apparently the system there in South Fulton is not a good system... If there are people in the county who do not have ANY fire protection, then the county needs to do something. The subscription system has worked for us for years... It's not perfect.... And a large percentage pays... We are a municipal fire dept that covers a small town of about 700 people. We cover about a 360 square mile area outside of our incorporated city limits... But over the years... Some people don't pay.... Do we put their fires out? You're dang right we do! Our county just passed a 1/4 cent sales tax for fire suppression. That was the greatest thing that has ever happened! But we still have people wanting to pay their subscriptions! Why? The responses are mostly that it is because we have shown no prejudice in the past... If they pay, GREAT! If they don't... We put their fire out and then have mentioned the fire subscription and they usually come the next day and pay.... Then if they don't after that... We don't worry about it.... We are here to protect lives and property... And yea, we have to have money to do it... But ordering your ment to sit there and watch a house burn to the ground.... Can't compare that to a free burger.... Just my opinion... You can take what that's worth and 50 cents and maybe go buy a cup of coffee.... We all have a job to do... In this situation... If the system is messed up... Then get together and make it better so this won't have to happen again....
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Larry,
Where I am all services are paid for by property taxes. If a person doesn't pay their property tax a lien will be placed on their property and ultimately it may be seized and sold to pay the taxes. But regardless all services are still provided. In Obion county (outside of South Fulton city limits) it's strictly voluntary to subscribe. The County does NOT want to pay for their own fire department because that would raise taxes, which apparently the County RESIDENTS do not want.
Someone has to fund a fire department and the residents of South Fulton do just that, for the RESIDENTS of South Fulton. There is no legal recourse for the Fire Department or the City of South Fulton to collect any fees or charges so if no one bothers to pay their fee (NOT a tax, a voluntary subscription fee) then the residents of South Fulton are providing FREE fire service to County residents. Sorry but there's no way that anyone can think THAT is fair.
As for fixing the messed up system, the County residents have decided that they don't want to fix it, they'd rather mooch off of South Fulton tax payers instead. And say what you want about letting a house burn, mooching off of others is not an acceptable answer.
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I understand where you are coming from. "Mooching" is not liked by anybody.... So, if I am understanding you correctly, the county residents have voted against a tax for fire protection, or has it ever even come up? If they don't want to pay for it by any means.... Then that is truly disturbing and is definately "mooching" if they expect service. BUT.... I don't know... There just has to be a better way.... I am not trying to argue..... But Having to order my guys to sit there and let a house burn.... I'm just having a hard time with that..... Just can't comprehend..... Does that make sense? What you are saying makes sense also..... I guess there has to be a line drawn somewhere.... Tough issue..... But letting someone's house burn to the ground and firefighters standing there watching it is a lot less acceptable than mooching..... Could you do it??? I couldn't.
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