Posted on 02/16/2006 6:40:17 PM PST by iPod Shuffle
Missouri firefighters watch man's garage go up in flames because he didn't pay
MONETT, Mo. (AP) - Rural Missouri 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 Det. Robert Evenson said.
Fire Chief Ronnie Myers defended the no-pay, no-aid policy, saying the membership-based organization could not survive if people thought the department would respond for free. The department said it will fight a fire without question if a life is believed to be in danger.
Rueda used a garden hose and buckets to fight the flames, while firefighters stood by on the road, watching in case the blaze spread to neighbouring properties owned by members. The fire eventually burned itself out.
Rueda said no one told him about the dues policy when he moved in 1 1/2 years ago.
Psst - over here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1580045/posts
hmmmmmmmmmmm
Looooong thread going on here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1580045/posts
Different titles = no find in searchie
>>> If it bothers you, why not just ignore it rather than take it upon yourself to "correct" or "admonish" other posters?<<<
Why don't YOU ignore cross-references to previous posts if they annoys you so?
>>>Different titles = no find in searchie<<<
Both titles have "firefighters"
Instead of pms-ing over how many posts this was under I'm actually gonna comment.
That is horrible.
Here is preferable.
Yeah, we are mean in Missouri. Stay away. Move to California or Mass. and let them take care of everything. This place sucks, stay away. \sarc\
I find it difficult to believe that such a unique system wouldn't be known by everyone in the town. That being said, should the insurance company pay for a car you've wrecked if you purchase insurance after the fact? If there is a pay system and he didn't pay, then that is most unfortunate, but completely fair. He had the option to pay.
Yes it is. Horrible doesn't pay the bills. Maybe your neighborhood Volunteer Fire Department should wait until your house is actually on fire before going out to purchase a pumper. And while they're at it maybe they could wait until you are actually having that heart attack to brush up on their CPR training. Oh and when they get to the fire and find out it's a 2-story house maybe they could get the homeowner to run down to Home Depot to buy a couple of ladders while they patch up their old dry-rotted hose. /sarc
Personally, I don't think multiple posts are that big of a deal
The FR spell checker is worthless. I doubt the "search posts" works any better.
Anyway ... the guy offered to pay for back dues for fire protection on the spot. Sounds fair to me. The firefighters were just being a-holes.
Hey now, we can't have duplicate posts. If we did I'd catch alot of stories I would normally miss, we can't have that now. It's the duty of every FReeper to check out every thread that's ever posted.
/sarcasm
Nope, not right.
In this rural Missouri area I live in, fire insurance is under $100 a year. I pay over $400 every 6 months in car insurance, so it's not an outrageous sum.
If it is on a "pay the back insurance whenever you need it" system, then why should anyone who already pays the insurance continue topay it, just in case?
Then you wouldn't have fire department with any working equipment other than a garden hose and some buckets.
My husband lost a house to a fire when the rural firefighters got their pumper stuck in the septic tank. And his dues were paid up. They were fussing about the stupid truck while the house burned to the ground. No apologies were tendered either.
Hey Ipod, don't concern yourself too much, obviously keith in iowa has no life but then he is from iowa.
Good job.
Now then I sometimes wonder if I fail to give to the "firefighters Union" when the call for donations if they are going to ," be busy on another call", if I need them? Also I wonder if it really is the firefighters representative or just another shakedwon by greedies?
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