How many pay for fire protection

Old Vet · #1 10/05/10, 07:03 PM

How many pay the fire department? http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot...logical-debate There many volunteer fire departments around and rely on dues to pay for equipment and other necessity for fighting fire. In this case I can understand it. It was from another county and couldn't asses any fee except for a volunteer fee that the owner didn't pay. I was a volunteer fireman and had a fee that was payed but if we went to a fire and did everything to put it out we charged the ones that didn't pay the fee $300 per hour for each fire truck and $500 minimum. On most fires we had 4 or 5 trucks at the fire and was their for at least 2 hours. If they didn't pay we put a lean on the property that must be payed before you sold the property. We had a few that complained about this and that is why we went to a tax supported business before I left.

Sonshine · #2 10/05/10, 07:11 PM

The one here is tax supported. I want to thank you for the time you spent as a volunteer fireman. Your services are greatly appreciated.

Sawmill Jim · #3 10/05/10, 07:23 PM

Well when the lawyer's get done those but heads a City Hall may be looking for another job .Or i hope so . Few day i'll go find Gene and see what is happening . South Fulton's fire Dept is staffed 24/7 got some equipment that didn't come from donations or fie dues . There is a fire dept every ten miles in that area .

Gene isn't a bum an not broke by any means

starjj · #4 10/05/10, 07:29 PM

I pay $35.00 if not the charge is $500.00 for the run.

Oldcountryboy · #5 10/05/10, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starjj

I pay $35.00 if not the charge is $500.00 for the run.

Same here. I've never had to use it yet, hopefully won't. But I like the ideal of knowing I wont have to come up with $500 if I let my grass fires get away.

tyusclan · #6 10/05/10, 07:51 PM

I think it's not only poor judgement but unethical as well for an emergency service (even a volunteer one) to stand by and allow the emergency to continue with no intervention.

I was a captain in our VFD for a number of years, and each department throughout had an interlocal agreement with the county and with each other. Each VFD got money from the county general fund in addition to the money raised at fund raisers, and the $425 charge for a response.

I don't think they should be forced to pay the dues if they don't want to, but if they don't they should expect to pay for the response. If the department is responding to a home that did not pay the dues, then by all means charge them the cost of the response. But to just stand there and watch the property burn is just not right.

arabian knight · #7 10/05/10, 07:56 PM

An important point here is that previous to the $75 policy, there was no fire coverage at all for these areas.
It was a rural area and they didn't go out there for any reason, for any fire at any time.
They implemented the $75 fee to give some access to fire services for these people. Before that both houses burned to the ground, both of them, and now only one of them did.
So, I mean, it's a tough decision.

rkintn · #8 10/05/10, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyusclan

I think it's not only poor judgement but unethical as well for an emergency service (even a volunteer one) to stand by and allow the emergency to continue with no intervention.

I was a captain in our VFD for a number of years, and each department throughout had an interlocal agreement with the county and with each other. Each VFD got money from the county general fund in addition to the money raised at fund raisers, and the $425 charge for a response.

I don't think they should be forced to pay the dues if they don't want to, but if they don't they should expect to pay for the response. If the department is responding to a home that did not pay the dues, then by all means charge them the cost of the response. But to just stand there and watch the property burn is just not right.

Exactly. Would his homeowner's insurance covered the cost of the fire dept responding? I think the FD probably goofed up big time.

Sawmill Jim · #9 10/05/10, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arabian knight

An important point here is that previous to the $75 policy, there was no fire coverage at all for these areas.
It was a rural area and they didn't go out there for any reason, for any fire at any time.
They implemented the $75 fee to give some access to fire services for these people. Before that both houses burned to the ground, both of them, and now only one of them did.
So, I mean, it's a tough decision.

Not true any way you spin it . There is a Fire dept every ten miles 911 in this whole area is worthless . He should of called Dukedom Latham fire Dept they are a volunteer dept . But the sorry 911 system in the area will route to Union City or South Fulton . Where i am sitting a 911 will go twenty eight miles instead of ten .

One stretch of the Tn Ky state line in ten miles there are five county lines in two different states . I know the whole lot of them involved .

Sawmill Jim · #10 10/05/10, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkintn

Exactly. Would his homeowner's insurance covered the cost of the fire dept responding? I think the FD probably goofed up big time.

South Fulton makes their laws as they go . Hope Gene owns the town soon

crispin · #11 10/05/10, 08:19 PM

I live in a small rural town.
We have a VFD
I pay no more, nor would I expect to, than my property taxes

rkintn · #12 10/05/10, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sawmill Jim

South Fulton makes their laws as they go . Hope Gene owns the town soon

Jim,
I didn't realize you were so close! I live in Weakley County

I hope he does too..that was just wrong. But, I've seen enough of small town/county politics to think he may not.

tnokie · #13 10/05/10, 08:51 PM

I agree,I hope that family owns that town befor its over. They were asking for help so the dept should have got involved . Their asking for help is the same as saying we will pay the extra fee. I would have a hard time holding my head up if I was with that dept. I would also have a hard time supporting any functions for them. I am ashamed to say I am a Tennessean today. They (the dept. has really disgraced us. I'm sure it will be all over the news. I hope some money hungry attorney gets ahold of that family fast!

**Shrek** · #14 10/05/10, 08:52 PM

Here our VFD has an annual donation drive and requests a $30 donation in exchange for a family portrait photo, but can also charge for responding if certain factors apply. Otherwise its a no charge service.

Our VFD can charge up to $1500 for responding to an unauthorized intentional or negligently caused fire during fire alerts and the cost can rise to $15000 if the Forestry Service is called in with their heavy equipment.

If a permitted burn gets out of control or its deemed an unavoidable accidental ignition, tax payers pick up the tab.

When we burned off an overgrown 4 acre field a few years back , the permit the Forestry Service issued me specified I have a VFD brush truck present to burn it off in one acre controlled burn areas and the volunteers with the truck didn't charge me for the assistance because they used the monitoring and wet breaking my burn as their required training. Had they already completed their training requirement for the month I would have had to pay for the fuel they used for the run.

When the winds unexpectedly picked up and the fire jumped, the volunteers on scene called in other departments and the FS heavy dozer to get the fire under control and we were not held liable for the expense of the call out to contain the 9 acre accidental burn.

Last year a guys kids near my mothers set two dry pastures ablaze with the exhaust or catalytic converters on their 4 wheelers, I heard him complaining at the cafe that the forestry service charged him a few grand for the hevy equipment response because the burn ban was well publicized and warnings about negligent 4 wheeler use were included in the publicized burn advisory notices.

About the same time last year a womans car stalled out on the two lane country highway and she coasted into the tall grass on the shoulder and her car exhaust system set fire to her car and a pasture but she wasn't charged for response because it was accidental ignition due to her auto failure and getting out of traffic flow.

salmonslayer · #15 10/05/10, 09:36 PM

Quote:

I live in a small rural town.
We have a VFD
I pay no more, nor would I expect to, than my property taxes

I live in a small rural town,
I am a volunteer firefighter
We get no funding from property tax and are wholly funded through member fees and fundraisers.
Whats your point?

Sawmill Jim · #16 10/05/10, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkintn

Jim,
I didn't realize you were so close! I live in Weakley County

I hope he does too..that was just wrong. But, I've seen enough of small town/county politics to think he may not.

Gene retired from Goodyear think he is in Weakley Co . Grapevine say one of his boys punched someone on the Fire Dept .

I was born in Weakley Co lived about six miles from Gene Small world

legacy · #17 10/05/10, 09:53 PM

I listened to the radio interview with the owner of this house this afternoon. He's not very smart (this is an understatement, I promise.)

He said he knew he was suppoesed to pay for rural fire protection and didn't because, "I thought they'd put it out anyway." That's verbatim, and I'm not kidding.

The radio broadcasters were gaffawing, and I didn't blame them (this time.)

Rural fire protection is like accident and fire insurance: You don't call after it happens and offer to pay.

I do like the idea of putting a lien on the property. That makes sense. They could pay $500 (they should pay more, I think) upon arrival of the FD or have a lien immediately placed upon their property.

They way I look at it is that some folks choose not to have insurance on their property and they choose to take the consequences should they get hit by fire or a tornado.

Same thing with rural fire protection.

And one more thing: $500 probably doesn't even come close to covering the mobilization and utilization of that manpower and equipment, even if it's a voluntary org. The other peeps who pay are probably going to have to pay more in the future if there are many folks like this guy.

Old Vet · #18 10/05/10, 09:56 PM

Where I now live the property taxes are not a source of funds for the VFD. All they get is those fees they charge. $35 per house. They do not get any tax money at all. If you do not pay the dues and they get a call you will be charged $500 unless there is a fire and then you pay $500 per truck per hour and any equipment loss during the fire. So you may be charged up to $45,000 if they loose a truck in the fire.

copperkid3 · #19 10/05/10, 10:10 PM

Some have been making the comment that they hope that the 'former homeowner'
sues and owns the town.......might want to rethink that statement. Even if he wins.......
I imagine that he'll still have to pay that $75.00 fee on his new digs......

Of course, he could instruct the mayor or the village council to pass a new law exempting him from the fee.....

CarolynRenee · #20 10/05/10, 10:15 PM

Our VFD gets part of the real estate taxes (our part was $99 a year which is about 10% of our total real estate tax), plus we have a once yearly mail out asking for donations as well as having a Pig Roast once a year to raise money. DH & I are both volunteer firefighters......so I have to share a pic of DH & DD future firefighter (BTW, the truck is for sale if anyone is interested!)
How many pay for fire protection - Homesteading Questions

How many pay for fire protection - Homesteading Questions

We don't charge for fire or medical calls, although if Forestry is called in, they may - I'm not sure about them. For a volunteer department, we're doing very well thanks to our auxiliary, medical & firefighter volunteers....we're also one of the few ISO 4 in the state! OK, done bragging now.