[goodwithagun]

They came to the aid of the house next door because it was in danger. If everybody knew that they only had to pay when the FD showed up, nobody would pay. Without the $75/house up front, they might not have enough $ to maintain their vehicles, facilities, gear, etc. Also, before the $75 fee, no rural homes had fire department protection. Before the fee, any rural house fire went without assistance. The FD was nice enough to provide service for a small, upfront fee. Gift-horse, mouth, get it?

[GonzoGOP]

Gift-horse, mouth, get it?

Pay for service horse, gifts are free of charge, fire service is quite obviously not. Get it?

I'm just surprised by the reactions of everyone in this case. The home owner is a twit, a cheapskate, and a moocher. I don't have the slightest sympathy for him. He took his chances and he paid the price.

However the firemen also seem surprised that when they act like they guy who repossess your car that they get treated like repo men instead of heroes. The firemen made a conscious decision to let a house, that could have been saved, burn because of lack of payment. Well they will get paid on time from now on, but don't expect to be loved by the community. Being a mercenary means you get to pick your fights, but it also means you will never have a statue in your honor.