Posted on 02/16/2006 3:52:53 PM PST by LouAvul
Edited on 02/16/2006 6:43:01 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
MONETT, Mo. (AP) - Rural firefighters stood by and watched a fire destroy a garage and a vehicle because the property owner had not paid membership dues.
Bibaldo Rueda - who was injured battling the flames Monday - offered to pay the dues as the fire blazed away, but the Monett Rural Fire Department does not have a policy for on-the-spot billing, Sheriff's Detective Robert Evenson said.
(Excerpt) Read more at modbee.com ...
"I guess our priceless welfare recipients are draining the public funds dry."
What we need is more illegal aliens on government benefits and entitlements.
As I said, "Southern California". She may have felt like it; but no, she didn't.
BTW, it was the same department that I tried to get to treat a guy I found beaten, robbed, and concussed, staggering in the road. It was New Years Eve, and they would not answer any of their doors at the station; they were partying.
Wouldn't answer the phone when I tried calling from across the street and wouldn't answer for the 911 operator either. Last straw was when the deputy sheriff arrived, called couldn't get any response, so first called a private ambulance, then called for back-up, broke into the station, and busted them all.
The logic is the same. Look at the present situation and ignore what caused it, and ignore the future impact of the proposed behavior. This guy didn't pay the $20 per year, but still wants the benefits as if he had paid. Others will follow this guy's lead. Why pay? Why avoid pre-marital pregnancy? Why choose not to commit crimes? Just rely upon the forgiveness of others. Give me my life insurance proceeds, never mind I waited until after the cancer diagnosis to take out the policy. Just give me the regular premium.
The logic is the same.
People are forgetting, he didn't lose his home, according to the article he lost a garage and a vehicle. I'll have to read the article again but they could have saved his house and it may not have been mentioned in the desire to villify the fire department.
Exactly.
To be honest I have no clue which of the 4 or 5 companies closest to me is "my" fire company.......I don't care, I know one of them will respond and so when one is having a fundraising event I am more than happy to participate. And that is voluntary on my part on top of the part of my property tax I already pay to help fund them and the EMTs.
I read yesterday that a VFD in Maryland donated a brand new ambulance to the company that just lost theirs, so now they can return the loaner from paid ambulance service.
As you said, it's all about community.
Still feel sorry for him?
Just kidding, but when you only know a part of the story, it is easy to come to wrong conclusions. We don't know the whole story here.
No, not armchair; used to be a vol EMT and worked with the hoseheads at large scenes - and NONE of THEM would EVER have thought about standing around while a structure was burning.
This is a rural area and the practice is common.
"hoseheads at large scenes"
Sounds like they may have been government paid fire fighters? These aren't government paid firefighters we're talking about.
Unfortunately, that could very well be. This area if rife with that stuff.
Unrelated story but there was an old farm house out in the country near here, guy got busted for meth, woman continued to deal. House burned down (way out in the sticks). Story around town was her closest neighbors got tired of it and burned her out. But then again, just a rumor, she could have accidently burnt it down cooking and the neighbors took credit. It was ready to fall down anyway, no great loss and she's no longer around here any more.
It's not a town.
?? It is a town, pretty big in fact, probably a good 10,000 now.
I'm glad I read this story. Now I know that volunteer firefighters aren't volunteers, and they don't actually care about helping people. Screw 'em.
How much does several houses, livestock, and other property cost if that fire goes out of control. This part of Missouri has been in a drought and it has been windy the last several days. We could of had a major wildfire in this area. Any fire now is a danger and the Fire Chief should of known not to chance it.
My bad, got curious and looked it up, 7,396 at last census I would guess. I'm still betting it's close to 10,000 now though. Has Tyson's and George's chicken plants and has been growing for several years.
The article says they were standing by and ready to protect the houses around. It was in the city, a garage and a vehicle. Yes, it has certainly been dry and as a Fire Chief, I'm sure he understood more than anyone.
Yeah. Standing at the scene of a fire... fully prepared and capable of putting it out... looking a pleading man in the face and saying tough you shoulda paid...
I know it happens.
I know it's legal.
Still, I can't quite understand it personally. I'd be thinking, what goes around comes around.
Monett Rural firefighters stood by and watched a fire destroy a garage and a vehicle
Monett Rural firefighters stood by and watched a fire destroy a garage and a vehicle
I can't believe the number of people that are upset with the idea of personal responsibility on FR. The others that have no clue how to survive without government services. It's like turning on a light switch, you're so used to that light always coming on. How could it not come on? It's just not possible! It's unthinkable!
Many people live in rural Missouri are well aware of the fact that there are not government services ready to rescue them at a moments notice. They're aware and they like it that way. The locals often get ticked off when the city raised move in and start demanding government services.
PLEASE MOVE BACK TO THE CITY unless you want to adjust to a rural lifestyle. Don't demand that we adjust our lifestyle to fit your ideas. OK?
It's much like the Islamists insisting Americans adopt Sharia law. So don't do it to us, OK?
The early brush fire units were converted from an old (Korean War vintage) weapons carrier and a jeep, all done in house. The vehicles were acquired surplus, rebuilt by and fitted out by the members, designed in house for the task and quite good for that duty. The jeep had a roll cage, small booster tank and hose, and a pull-start pump, and it was great for knocking down grass fires before they got out of hand, or driving behind the flame front in a field fire while the 'shotun' fireman knocked down the flames with the booster nozzle.
Amazing things can still be done on a limited budget.
The Department never levied a fee on anyone in those early years, all the firefighters were volunteers, and they put out anyone's fires.
Money came from donations, holding benefit dances and dinners, and things were (and still largely are) kept running by the efforts of the members.
One thing has changed. There was a county fire tax implemented, on businesses and residences, as part of the property tax. Those monies never really got into the hands of politicians, but were handled by a board elected from the fire departments and EMS providers in the county. They, working with a knowledge of the requirements of the individual departments and the resources available to them, worked out a budget which benefitted all the departments, and continue to do so. The firefighters are still, with rare exceptions (dispatchers and fully certified paramedics) strictly volunteer. No one gets turned down. And we had our share of people who were dirt poor, too. If anything, they needed us more.
Any shortfalls are still made up by fundraisers conducted by the respective departments. No, the equipment isn't lime green, (red is still the color of choice), but it is much newer now, across the board.
I guess I just still have trouble with the idea of volunteer firefighters standing next to the equipment and watching a structure burn when it could have been saved. After all, putting out fires was what we joined to do, refusing to so would have gone completely against that.
"Rural firefighters stood by and watched a fire destroy a garage and a vehicle because the property owner had not paid membership dues."
The Lord helps those who help themselves.
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