Firefighters let home burn

[pauldun170]

No pay, no spray: Firefighters let home burn
Tennessee house in ashes after homeowner 'forgot' to pay $75 fee


Firefighters in rural Tennessee let a home burn to the ground last week because the homeowner hadn't paid a $75 fee.

Gene Cranick of Obion County and his family lost all of their possessions in the Sept. 29 fire, along with three dogs and a cat.

"They could have been saved if they had put water on it, but they didn't do it," Cranick told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann.

The fire started when the Cranicks' grandson was burning trash near the family home. As it grew out of control, the Cranicks called 911, but the fire department from the nearby city of South Fulton would not respond.

"We wasn't on their list," he said the operators told him.

Cranick, who lives outside the city limits, admits he "forgot" to pay the annual $75 fee. The county does not have a county-wide firefighting service, but South Fulton offers fire coverage to rural residents for a fee.

Cranick says he told the operator he would pay whatever is necessary to have the fire put out.

His offer wasn't accepted, he said.

The fire fee policy dates back 20 or so years.

"Anybody that's not inside the city limits of South Fulton, it's a service we offer. Either they accept it or they don't," said South Fulton Mayor David Crocker.

Firefighters did eventually show up, but only to fight the fire on the neighboring property, whose owner had paid the fee.

"They put water out on the fence line out here. They never said nothing to me. Never acknowledged. They stood out here and watched it burn," Cranick said.

South Fulton's mayor said that the fire department can't let homeowners pay the fee on the spot, because the only people who would pay would be those whose homes are on fire.

Cranick, who is now living in a trailer on his property, says his insurance policy will help cover some of his lost home.

"Insurance is going to pay for what money I had on the policy, looks like. But like everything else, I didn't have enough."

After the blaze, South Fulton police arrested one of Cranick's sons, Timothy Allen Cranick, on an aggravated assault charge, according to WPSD-TV, an NBC station in Paducah, Ky.

Police told WPSD that the younger Cranick attacked Fire Chief David Wilds at the firehouse because he was upset his father's house was allowed to burn.

WPSD-TV reported that Wilds was treated and released.

© 2010 msnbc.com Reprints

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39516346/ns/us_news-life/

[Switch]

Nice, no one had any ethics on that fire truck.

[tommymac]

After I saw the title I thought it was Eds house. Have us unlock your door eh we will let the fugger burn.

[defector]

Why is he talking to Keith Olberman? Is the fire chief Bill O'Reilly?

[KSGregman]

Originally Posted by Bonesaw

Nice, no one had any ethics on that fire truck.

Let's hope the Cranick the Younger knew how to fight and hung an ass whipping on the Fire Chief....if he's gonna get done for A&B anyway he should at least ensure it's worth it.

Can you imagine riding all the way out there on the fire truck....seeing the guys house burning....and then putting the fire out on the OTHER side of the fence? Over a $75 shakedown....I mean....fee?

That is a special kind of douche-baggery right there.

[shmike]

"Forgot" is in quotes.

Keith Olbermann reports.

I'll wait for the rest of the story.

[Rider]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAjEsbbBnuU

[AquaPython]

if they let it burn knowing the animals were inside, that i believe is felony negligence contributing to death of animals or some such law.

[udman]

I know it's easy to blame the fire fighters here, but I question any rule-law-statute-city policy that requires them to check a "list" before responding to a call and them become de facto repo men once on scene.

[Sean]

It was like that a long time ago. You had to subscribe to a fire fighting service. When you paid your house was identified by a firemark on the front of it. If you didn't have them the firemen would stand there and let the house burn, while protecting your neighbors who had subscribed to their service.

You still see the marks on buildings today in older cities like lower Manhattan, Boston, Philly etc.



I'm betting Einstein there didn't understand that he needed to subscribe to get fire fighting service. County government FAIL.