Firefighters refuse to battle blaze, but watch

Tribune Chronicle ^ | 16 Jan 04 | JOHN GRANT EMEIGH

[Sir Gawain]

What a bunch of heroes.

[DeFault User]

Jason Radcliff was not their neighbor so they heeded Dean's advice to sit down?

[Orangedog]

Basement-Savers

[FourPeas]

Ciminero said his department was not obligated to fight the fire.

Obligated? My dad was a volunteer firefighter and I can't even fathom him having this attitude. I understand liability, needing to protect the property of their city, etc., but to just allow someone's house to burn? Amazing.

[JOAT]

Ciminero said his department was not obligated to fight the fire.

He's legally correct and morally wrong. Just as no one is under any legal obligation to save a drowning child. You can just stand there and watch them die, legally. Of course, callous inaction reveals what you really are inside.

[Hodar]

Just a couple silly questions.

1) Why did he take his trucks (3 of them) and the men to the fire; if the fire was outside of his jurisdiction?

2) What is the cost addition of putting the fire out, over the costs incurred of rushing to the scene?

3) Does the Fireman still have a job?

[Sir Gawain]

Just as no one is under any legal obligation to save a drowning child.

Actually I think some places have negligence laws, so you would get in trouble for doing nothing. Unless you worked for the city of course.

[ArrogantBustard]

1) 911 dispatchter directed him to do so.

2) I've no idea.

3) I hope not.

[nothingnew]

Sorta like the fire scene in "Gangs of New York".

FMCDH

[Pest]

I blame it on the lawsuit happy lawyers. It prevents people from doing the right thing.

[NautiNurse]

There is more to this story than reported. If the faster Niles responders had not--then there would be only lawsuits against the Weathersfield pokies.

If the Niles quick responders had taken action, then received a call for their own jurisdiction--more $$$ for the lawyers when they didn't meet their local obligations post haste.

If the Niles firefighters had taken the fire to task--would they see any remuneration for their efforts? Would this not set a precedent for the Weathersfield pokies to rely upon their unfunded samaritan neighbors forever?

[cruiserman]

The patrol dispatcher mistakenly notified the Niles department about the fire because Robbins Avenue also runs through Niles.

I smell lawsuit.

[JOAT]

Just as no one is under any legal obligation to save a drowning child.

Actually I think some places have negligence laws, so you would get in trouble for doing nothing.

That may be true in a few places. Point remains.

[Guillermo]

Unions!

No wonder why US companies would rather not deal with these scum and their bad attitudes.

[Kirkwood]

Most communities have agreements worked out for these situations, but this still happens a lot more than you might think. The rank and file firefighters want to go in and do the job. They can put themselves in the homeowners postion. It is city administration and unions that keep the firefighters on a short leash (including losing their jobs if they cross the line to help).

[DeFault User]

would they see any remuneration for their efforts?

Most fire policies have provisions to pay any such expenses.

[cynicom]

Sometimes common sense is missing.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

We had something similar to this happen here back in the eighties, only it involved the closest EMS unit being called to a house just outside of their jurisdiction. The guy died. Most counties and cities around here have worked out "overlaps" where things like this won't happen again.

[armymarinemom]

Does Ohio not have community agreements for emergency services? We live in an small town and have agreements with several surrounding towns for coverage. We always have several towns on the scene for a large fire or mass casualty.