Tennessee County Expands Its Divisive Subscription Fire Policy

[Purveyor]

Source: TIME

By CARMEN K. SISSON / OBION COUNTY Carmen K. Sisson / Obion County – 1 hr 18 mins ago

Tempers flared inside a northwestern Tennessee courtroom Monday night as residents and local firefighters argued about the expansion of a local subscription-only fire-department policy, one that has ignited debate across the country. Three weeks ago, an elderly couple in Obion County, Tennessee, lost their trailer and four pets when firefighters refused to extinguish the conflagration. The trailer was located in a rural section of the county that does not have its own fire department, so five surrounding municipalities respond as needed, with three others responding only to subscribers. Gene and Pauline Cranick had forgotten to pay an annual $75 subscription fee for rural fire protection - so the South Fulton Fire Department helped only the Cranicks' neighbors, who were paid subscribers.

The International Association of Fire Fighters has condemned the South Fulton Fire Department's inaction as "incredibly irresponsible." Pundits painted the family as victims of Tea Party politics or, alternately, as freeloaders. Every fire department in Obion County received complaint calls and e-mails, even those not directly involved. "I'm asking the Lord to visit a curse upon every person involved," said one caller in a voice mail. "May your house burn down as well." (Should the Tennessee firemen have let the trailer burn?)

Over the objections of firefighters and many residents, the Obion County commission voted 15 to 3 to expand subscription-based service throughout the county. Beginning July 2011, all fire departments in the area - including the five that have answered calls at no charge for the past three decades - will require residents to pay the annual fee. Fire chief Bob Reavis of Hornbeak, one of the municipalities in the county, had opposed the expansion of the "pay to spray" policy, arguing that more houses would burn. "It's a public-safety issue," he said. "Subscriptions should be left to newspapers and magazines." (See the life of a 9/11 firefighter.)

But the county's mayor, Benny McGuire, said that only one-third of Obion County (which is 555 square miles and has a population of 32,450) had access to rural service before Monday's vote and that the commission's move will extend protection to everyone, albeit at a price. It was, said McGuire, "probably the best we can do." The subscription service is not final: in February 2012, residents will vote on whether they want rural fire service and how to fund it.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20101020/us_time/08599202644500

[Uben]

1. They expected protection but didn't pay?

Ha ha! Haven't we beat this dead horse enough?

[Marnie]

7. But they didn't start the firetheir neighbor did.

The neighbor was a paid subscriber, he was burning off his field and his fire spread to their house.
The responders refused to completely put out the totality of a subscriber's fire.

There does not seem to be any reason for them to have acted as good Samaritans and good neighbors either.

[JustAmused]

9. Not really

The original incident happened when the couple's grandchildren (I think) were burning trash outside. That is the fire that got to their house, and their neighbor's field. The fire department came out to put out the fire at the neighbors, who is a subscriber.

[Judi Lynn]

2. If the issue hasn't been resolved humanely and honorably, it's not settled. n/t

[Old and In the Way]

3. Folks in Obion Country better hope no screw-ups happen on

the accounting side of things wrt these subscriptions. The first lawsuit that occurs because of misplaced paperwork might be the last.

[Uncle Joe]

10. I agree, a clerical error could lead to someone's home being allowed to burn down and

no doubt there will be a lawsuit.

[atreides1]

4. Protection Money

When Al Capone did this it was a crime!

[AlbertCat]

5. "This ain't the way to fix it," Reavis concluded. "God save us all."

Indeed.

In the article there's a paragraph were they explain some fire dept's send rural victims of fire a bill for their services already rendered, but that many bills never get paid.

This is not something the USA hasn't gone thru in the past. NYC nearly burned down in the 1840's (or sometime close to that) because of competing fire dept's. The solution that worked then and works now?

TAXES

Citizens pay taxes and they are used for things like a fire dept. that serves everyone. (we have to explain this to adults? In Government???)

Do Teabaggers, especially in rural areas, want services or not? Does it not sink into their wrinkled brains that this kind of thing is why we have taxes? How do they expect things to even remain as they are when the cost of everything is going up but taxes aren't and "never should!"?

TAXES! Which brings us to the question of whether any rural taxes go into the municipal fire dept in this part of TN.....any word on that?

[MineralMan]

6. The kinfolks say, "Hey! Move away from there!"

[iscooterliberally]

8. Californee is the place you ought to be...

..oh wait....:+