Wow. Just... Wow.

If you'd like to form your own opinion, you'll probably want to go read the article in it's entirety. The readers digest version: the county has a program where you must pay annually to be covered by the fire department. If you have not paid the fee, the fire department's policy is that they will not help you. The homeowner in the story had not paid the fee. The fire department did respond to the scene because a neighbor who had paid called, in fear that his own property would also catch on fire. The firefighters did not help the original home that caught on fire.

Rural Tennessee fire sparks conservative ideological debate

I'm rolling up my sleeves on this one, because with the constant we're being overtaxed! Stop taxing me! No, tax me! I want this free! Give me back my school's aid! This should be included! yada yada debate we have going on in this country these days, I can't resist. No, really, I can't.

Shortly after we moved into our home several years ago, a house several doors down burnt to the ground. It took well over ten minutes for the fire department to get here, and in that time frame, well, there wasn't anything left. The pets perished, the kids got out thank goodness. It seriously was the thing my personal nightmares are made of. While neighbors were standing around staring, I did what I was trained to do having grown up in the countryside - my garden hoses were out and I went to town watering the side of my house nearest the fire and my yard.

My home is under 650 square feet and an older, wooden structure. If it takes around 10 minutes for the fire department to get here - which is reasonable, when you think about it - 5 minutes for everyone to get loaded, 5 minutes from the department for travel time - I know my home will be past the point of saving. All I can do is pray that if I need to, I can get us out of the house and to safety in time. I keep my grass short, my yard clear from potential fire starters, and outdoor clutter away from my house - which is more than I can say for some of my neighbors. In fact, for all my cranking about this house falling apart, I fear the neighbors' homes catching on fire more than my own - and our main source of heat is wood!

So to get this in relevance with the story above, I can kind of understand WHY the homeowner did not pay the original fee. If Kitsap County (this is where I live, for the out of towners) was to implement this same fee annually, I can see my husband and I getting into the debate of whether it's even worth it. Would I end up paying it? Yes of course, but I'd grumble the whole way through it. As I am sure that homeowner is going to find out, I don't think his homeowners insurance is going to be too thrilled with his situation. Hmmm... let's see? $75 to save everything I own? Technically... that's a bargain. Hello, these guys DO put their lives on the line each time they do their job.

Now the owner, when calling 911 said he would be willing to pay ALL COSTS. He was turned down - the fire department's policy.

What frustrates and shocks me is that the fire department responded to the scene (as per a neighbor's 911 call in fear their home would burn down) and was all ready to go, and still didn't put out the fire. The firefighters are there, suited up, ready to spring into action. The chance to stop the situation from getting any worse should have been taken, and the homeowner who's house was on fire should have been billed for the manpower/utilities used - at a premium.

Being a history person, I am well aware that in the "old days" firefighters were paid like insurance. If you paid in, they'd help. If not? Sorry, buster. You're fresh out of luck. These days, so many of us assume everything is paid for with all the taxes we pay and levies that are passed. However, with budget shortfalls, and money coming in less and less, I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more situations like the one above.

You have to think that with the economy as tanked as it is, folks would have problems not only paying an annual fee - but paying the fire department's cost if they were needed. Is it gas to get to work, to pay bills, or the annual fee? Which would YOU choose? Geez. I wouldn't want to have to make that decision, it's frightening enough.

So do you agree with what went down? Should the fire department stick to it's policies? Should it even be an issue to begin with, or should firefighters, police, etc automatically have to respond thanks to our taxes - even if they have to be raised? Should we be fully billed for the fire department's services should we need it, and stop using our tax money to fund it? (Play nice though, please don't attack your fellow commenters.)