Comments on: Guy’s house burns down because he didn’t pay $75 fee!!!

By: Linda

Linda — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 12:40:02 +0000

Wow, what a read. That’s insane, but good to read the comments and see everyone else support.

By: Jo

Jo — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:02:38 +0000

Very heartening to read so many compassionate comments. Amazed to read the fire dept won’t respond unless a levy is paid. In Australia which is largely rural, the fire dept responds ALWAYS. Costs are taken care of by local government. Also, many communities have their own voluntary fire fighters, well trained and well equipped. Because a house fire can spread to surrounding houses, it makes sense that fire levy’s are part of property owners rates and taxes – not optional. Crazy.

By: Jason

Jason — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 16:15:43 +0000

The $75 fee is paid to support HAVING a fire department.

Gene Cranick is a selfish A**hole who wasn’t even willing to pay $75 to support having a local fire department.

If nobody in Cranick’s community paid the fee, then there would be no fire department.

Instead, Cranick was one of only a handful of A**hole’s in hist community, and only his house burned down.

That seems fair.

It would have been better for fire service to be mandatory, and paid out of property taxes. You can object to that decision (as I do). But don’t object to somebody who deliberately refused to support having a fire department, and then was literally burned by his selfish decision.

By: J. Money

J. Money — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:33:27 +0000

The only thing I’m assuming is that we’re all human ;) Whether I work for a fire department, a business, or just have a hose next to me that I own, there’s no way I’m not trying to put out that fire if I have the power to stop it. I just personally think there comes a time when you have to act as a person and not as a rep for your organization. We’re not tied by them, and have to do exactly what they say. We can think for ourselves. If in this case you, personally, don’t believe the fire should be put out, then all is good in the world ;) But if you DO, and you don’t do anything about it, then that’s where I have the problem. And if I were one of those firefighters I’d have to make that call to go against the rules.

By: Terry

Terry — Mon, 16 May 2011 17:19:23 +0000

J. Money wrote: ” I couldn’t personally stand and let it watch burn to the ground if I had the ability to help. I’d lose my job or piss people off, I’m sure, but I think in some cases you have to put people first outside “business.”

You are still operating with the assumption that the fire dept. is a public service. Consider that , without a general tax, it is actually a business. Having that house burn down while the fire dept. sat idly by watching – because the guy did not contract for their services – was the best form of advertising they could possible get. And it was free! A great business decision by the fire company.

Welcome to the new America!

By: J. Money

J. Money — Tue, 03 May 2011 23:00:34 +0000

I def. won’t argue about any of the political stuff (not my forte) but all I know is I couldn’t personally stand and let it watch burn to the ground if I had the ability to help. I’d lose my job or piss people off, I’m sure, but I think in some cases you have to put people first outside “business.” Just my thoughts though, we’re all entitled to our own opinions :) And this thread is certainly full of them!

By: Terry

Terry — Tue, 03 May 2011 18:12:14 +0000

A close friend of mine just went tea-party. He actually said to me, while his wife was nodding in agreement, that the fire and the police departments were not really worth it and didn’t really do anything. He advocated some sort of neighborhood watch and volunteer fire dept sort of setup. I didn’t ask too many questions, because I think the entire premise is moronic. I just said that if you got rid of the police, it would become Gotham city. But this guy doesn’t want to pay taxes and he does not believe in public services because they are socialistic enterprises. This is the Fox News a la Glenn Beck tea-party america. A la carte services complete with red and green zones separating the haves from the have-nots. Public teachers, firefighters, and cops (look at the recent Wisc and Ohio proposed legislation) are government parasites that make too much money on the tax payers dime.

If you move to an area where the residents continually vote down levies/taxes for schools, cops, firefighters, parks, libraries, etc. Don’t act outraged when you lose those services and have to start paying a la carte. Apparently, this community did not support its fire dept out of a general tax fund and required a seperate fee. The guy did not pay. He opted out. End of story.

Try this experiment: Let your car insurance lapse for a few months and go have an accident. Then when you submit the claim, explain to them how you use to pay for the service and meant to this year, but just did not get around to it. I am sure they will understand.

By: TheNutBuster

TheNutBuster — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 02:37:40 +0000

Are you fucking kidding me. This topic fires me up. If people have the Ball to say firefighters dont have the compassion to do something. Then you get you drunkin, lazy, lowdown, ass off the couch and sign on as a vol. firefighter and do what they do. That stupid ass guy didnt pay that little $75 fire insurance that would have saved his house, and guess what i dont feel bad one bit. He 100% ment to NOT pay it, so therefore it fuckin burnt down.. his falt. Its there for a reason not to say well maybe ill pay it this year or wait the next year, therefore have fun picking the life out of this comment while the the firefighters save peoples lives.

By: FireBall

FireBall — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:50:01 +0000

It is no different than your car insurance. If you dont pay it, dont expect to get a new car when you total your car in an accident. Don’t expect the fire department to go out and put your house out when you dont pay. It is no ones fault but the home owners.

By: Person1234567

Person1234567 — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 03:55:18 +0000

I’m just saying, if they agreed and put out the fire and then billed him after and he payed it and everything, then what is to stop everyone else that lives in the area to decline to pay the fee thinking they can just pay for it after in the off chance hat there is a fire? Then no one pays, the fire dept. does not receive money to be properly funded and the next time there is a fire it doesn’t get put out because the trucks aren’t updated, or the fireman’s equipment fails and one of them is injured or dies… As for the pets and the home it is all very tragic and very sad, but it’s the home owners fault not the fire departments. If the neighbors felt so strongly then maybe they should have went in there and put it out. We all know if something wen wrong there are defiantly people that would turn around and sue the fire dept. Just like people who get a rib broken while chocking and receiving the Heimlich from a stranger.