To be clear, any FD on any scene should generally put the fire out. In this case, we think the FD should have put it out, and then billed them for all the costs or just figure it all out later.
I mean, can you imagine if you forgot to pay your insurance bill and then filed a claim? Would the insurance company insure you and handle it later? Ask the Gecko. See what he says.
The point is that FD’s cost money-and the elected officials of that county DO NOT WANT to fund a FD and haven’t for years. THEY DO NOT WANT A TAX FUNDED FIRE DEPARTMENT and apparently the taxpayers don’t either-at least not as a whole, otherwise, they would tell their elected officials "yes". But it’s "no".
Word is that the Fire Chiefs of Obion County have worked for many years to offer the county elected folks a proposal of a fire tax or have them just fund the 8 municipality fire departments, a reported $360,000 total, to provide ALL residences of the unincorporated areas of the county, a fire service. However the elected county commission refuses to force a tax on their citizens.
We were also advised that the homeowner (who lost his house) was sent 3 letters reminding him of his fire dues, and after that they called him 3 times and each time he said he would pay, but after the third phone call the FD dropped his name off the list. They still should have put it out. Of course, little did we (us) know that the FD subscription was set up 20 years ago because someone’s house outside a city limits burned, and the city wanted to provide service to those residences (where there is no other fire service) so the subscription service was started to help. City taxpayers did not want to fund a free FD for non-taxpaying residents, outside their city. No one does.
Bottom line: If a FD shows up at or near a fire, put it out (that helps save exposures) or don’t respond. An archaic system on "some get, some don’t" based upon billing is a whole lot different than the rest of North America (and some nations) are used to. However, if the elected officials do not want to fund a FD, it’s their choice. If the residents care, they need to speak up, vote, join up or never forget to subscribe. Maybe the FD should have a credit card system, where the residents get billed annually, automatically, unless they choose to opt out. Just imagine the ad: "Your Fire Department, We’re Everywhere You Want To Be"
