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.posted by XQUZYPHYR at 7:57 AM on October 4, 2010 [4 favorites]
Turns out, the neighbor had paid the fee.
formally establish a county-wide fire department which will provide quality fire protection and emergency response to all areas of Obion County in a timely manner with no subscription fees or requirements for response.It is pretty sad the initial and presumably local news failed to even note that there is an effort to address exactly this sort of problem, and the whole internet is getting all on fire (err...torched about it).
According to survey information, over 75% of all municipal fire department’s structure calls are rural..... [for departments that charge fees] collections are, less than 50% and the fire departments have no way of legally collecting the charge. Therefore, the service was provided at the expense of the municipal tax payer.posted by zenon at 10:06 AM on October 4, 2010 [6 favorites]
"For Example, if you Examine my Swangkee Photo Galleries, you will Discover our 98% Rock Houses, which are:That's an... interesting site.
- Fireproof — because Rocks do not easily Burn
- Hail-proof — because most of the Roof is 6 feet thick
- Paint-proof — because Beautiful Marble-faced Walls do not get Ugly, and therefore they do not need Painting
- Self-air-conditioned — because the Earth, itself, keeps it at the Right Temperature, except for a small amount of Firewood, which could be replaced with Solar Heat, except that it is not quite as Reliable as the Firewood, and Especially in Places like Kentucky, which are often Blest with Hazy Days during Winter Months
- Rot-proof — because Rocks do not Rot, which is Especially Beneficial in Wet Climates like Kentucky
- Termite-proof — because Termites do not like to Munch on Rocks, since it is Rough on their Teeth, you might say!
- Tornado-resistant — at least on the Sides: because the Solid Walls are 17 feet thick at the Base on 3 Sides, and about 2 feet thick on the Front Side
- Insurance-proof — because there is no Need for any Insurance
- Mouse-proof — because the Solid Rock Walls have no place Designed within them for Mice, Rats, Snakes, Skunks, Cockroaches, Wasps, Killer Bees, nor other Varmints to Homestead, or to take up Light Housekeeping, even as certain Outlaw Varmints have done in the District of Criminals, in Washington, who call themselves Leaders and Experts, even though they Reject the Great Truths that were Taught by Jesus Christ, who was and still is the Greatest Leader of all, who has been and still is Admired and Worshipped by BILLIONS of People, Worldwide, including myself, who has been Personally SEALED by his own Right Hand!
- Shingle-proof — because there are no Shingles to replace
- “Bulletproof” — because it is Difficult to shoot through Solid Rock Walls and 3-inch-thick Solid White Oak Doors, even though it is not Smart-Bomb-proof: because that might Require the entire National Budget for so-called "National Security," in order to Build such a House, which National Security is about as Secure as one of those Wooden/Plastic Firetrap Mouse-infested Cockroach Dens!
- “Soundproof” — because there is not much Sound passing through such thick Walls, even though I am sure that if an Atomic Bomb went off just above the Roof, that some Noise would pass on through — at least enough to make a Person sit up in Bed, and SMILE!
- and so on."
RURAL FIRE POLICYFrom the municiple minutes.
Ms. Dillon stated she spoke to TML Risk Manager Paul Chambliss and insurance
representative Roger Kephart regarding response to fires by SFFD of county residents who do not join Rural Fire Program and was recommended by MTAS that fire department should not respond to non-members of the rural fire membership. She stated she will draft a rural fire policy for approval by the commission. She stated there are about 400 non-subscribers and the current policy is not to respond.
Talanvor: Why does anyone assume that the guy would pay "whatever it takes" to put the fire out when he wouldn't bother to pay $75? Oh I'm sure he'd get the bill, somehow I doubt he'd actually put up the money for it though.Because the point some people are making is that it's well know how people are terrible calculators of odds and risk. I.e., $75 now seems way to much because of course my house isn't going to burn down... until your house is burning down, in which case it's the fucking deal of the century to have paid $75/year. I sincerely believe that had they put the fire out, Cranick would have paid some significant multiples of $75. That is to say, Cranick isn't against paying for services rendered, but that like many people he's bad at assessing the cost/benefit to insurance, in this case fire department insurance.
I'm amazed that the county doesn't just levy a tax to pay the city's FD for coverage, especially since they don't have their own VFD
"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.This wasn't carelessness or a mistake or bad judgement of risks. Cranick thought that he didn't have to pay because people like you wouldn't let his house burn down. It's that simple.
You know what I think you are? A sucker.Yes, I think this forms the basis of a lot of people's politics.
"Cranick, who is now living in a trailer on his property, says his insurance policy will help cover some of his lost home.posted by ericb at 1:12 PM on October 6, 2010
'Insurance is going to pay for what money I had on the policy, looks like. But like everything else, I didn't have enough.'"*
The fire department did the right and Christian thing. The right thing, by the way, is also the Christian thing, because there can be no difference between the two. The right thing to do will always be the Christian thing to do, and the Christian thing to do will always be the right thing to do.posted by Rhaomi at 3:57 PM on October 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
If I somehow think the right thing to do is not the Christian thing to do, then I am either confused about what is right or confused about Christianity, or both.
In this case, critics of the fire department are confused both about right and wrong and about Christianity. And it is because they have fallen prey to a weakened, feminized version of Christianity that is only about softer virtues such as compassion and not in any part about the muscular Christian virtues of individual responsibility and accountability.
[...]
This story illustrates the fundamental difference between a sappy, secularist worldview, which unfortunately too many Christians have adopted, and the mature, robust Judeo-Christian worldview which made America the strongest and most prosperous nation in the world. The secularist wants to excuse and even reward irresponsibility, which eventually makes everybody less safe and less prosperous. A Christian worldview rewards responsibility and stresses individual responsibility and accountability, which in the end makes everybody more safe and more prosperous.
I’m going with mature, robust Christianity on this one.
"Change.org is organizing a letter-writing campaign to tell 'Obion County Sherrif Danny Jowers, the main contact person for Obion County Office of Emergency Management, that letting pets burn to death over $75 is unacceptable.' The animal welfare group The Philanthropy Team is demanding the resignation [PDF] of Mayor David Crocker and Fire Chief David Wilds."*posted by ericb at 1:45 PM on October 8, 2010
« Older "What's wrong with classical music?" Tha... | "Each morning for over ei... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by empath at 7:41 AM on October 4, 2010 [7 favorites]