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 ...
Aren't most rural firefighters volunteers? This is bizarre.
It's for real. We have the same arrangement here in metro Phoenix. They will put out the fire if you are not a subscriber but then send you a bill (for thousands, likely). The idea is to keep adjoining subscriber properties from burning down.
Can I do that with auto insurance? I mean, if I get in an accident can I call my agent and tell him I changed my mind and I'll buy that policy now. Or life insurance? Hello, Allstate, after further consideration I've decided to take out a policy on my wife. How old is she? Well, she was 65 when she passed away yesterday.
If I remember correctly, most fire services were private in the early 1800s. It was quite a long time until they became public.
The shields that you find in antique shops that say something like "Boston Street Fire Department" were attached to houses after the dues were paid. If the company saw the shield they would fight the fire, if no shield, the house would burn to the ground while they stood watching.
Long history of pay to play fire service in the US.
This is shameful. The man said he didn't even know about the program; you can believe many of the residents didn't either, til now.
Yeah. I'll stand over here with you Sarg. What you said.
Gee, you mean you don't get what you don't pay for?
I see a lawsuit coming, just out of anger, not sanity.
"I hope the owner didn't take the same approach with his homeowner's insurance."
Insurance company: Hello
Homeowner: Hi this is Bob. My house is on fire, I would like to buy insurance now.
He wasn't offering to pay them to put out the fire. He was offering to pay his dues which, I'm sure, were much less than the cost of putting out the fire.
How that grifters lounge doing? And did they ever decide on the drug testing for public officers?
If the guy won't pay his dues, I doubt he would pay the much larger bill for putting out the fire.
It's how it used to be and what it should be returned to. Private fire companies, private police forces, no government intervention and unwelcome taxation. If you don't want the service, you won't have money removed from your paycheck to pay for it.
Where I grew up the town taxes paid for the fire department. If you lived outside of the town limits, your annual fee was $2.00. If you did not pay the annual fee, our fire department would not respond to your call. If you were too cheap to pay the $2.00, you did not deserve fire protection.
I call them firefighters. They are working for a private organization and are not existing off government money. I wish my own area had one of these. A private police force as well. Would probably be run more efficiently as well
Dunno about there but our EMS/VFD is funded by government grants, county tax, and donations.
Yes it is real!
We live in a rural area and pay $35.00 or $40.00 a year. If we don't pay it and they have to put a fire out on our property it will cost us something like $1000.00 an hour for their service.
Rueda said no one told him about the dues policy when he moved in 1 1/2 years ago.
Pretty important piece of the puzzle.
Nice town!
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