Today’s real-life example of a dark and terrible future

[woodyear99]

Those firefighters were in a tough position yes. Lack of funds really does suck.

http://io9.com/5865739/todays-real+life-example-of-a-dark-and-terrible-future

http://www.firehouse.com/news/top-headlines/tennessee-fire-department-watches-house-burn-again


It's the kind of thing you'd expect to happen in a really dystopian movie about a collapsed civilization. Yesterday, a Tennessee fire department drove out to a woman's home and watched it burn to the ground because she hadn't paid a $75 fire department fee.

According to Firehouse.com :

The South Fulton Fire Department made national news last year after they refused to put out a house fire due to an unpaid fire subscription fee, and it appears that policy has not changed. Homeowner Vicky Bell watched her home burn to the ground on Monday while firefighters stood behind her looking on, according to WPSD-TV.

While the city provides fire service free of charge to its residents, it requires an annual $75 fee for homeowners who live in unincorporated areas of Obion County — which doesn't have its own fire department.

Firefighters said that Bell should have known about the policy when she called the fire department, because of the case last year.

I'm trying to figure out whether I want to see this scene show up in a movie directed by Michael Bay or Ridley Scott. There's fire, but there's also horrific desolation and bleak inhumanity. So hard to pick.

[VirtueTT]

And the US strikes again! 

[TheApprentice]

........................................

[TriniXaeno]

unbelievable

[Husk4197]

nutten new.....just like when you call police here and they say dey eh have no vehicle.......
unless is kill people getting kill you go have to wait till they feel like making a pass.

I wonder if they would stand and watch if somebody was trapped inside......

[LQDSNK]

I'm sure she would have been more than willing to pay that $75 after. Why not just save the house? You let a house burn for $75...really? I dunno again nah...

[woodyear99]

I'm sure she would have been more than willing to pay that $75 after. Why not just save the house? You let a house burn for $75...really? I dunno again nah...

Apparently this is a low income rural area. The point the FD was trying to make here is that if you don't pay we won't put out fires. It was a warning to others in the area. Seems a bit harsh and there probably are better ways going about such things I'd say.

[Redlum08]

Yea, I would say that Human life is insignificant these days, as we reach 7 Billion :S

Shows how much life is valued. If people were trapped inside, you telling me they would just stand there and watch them burn to death because they could not afford to pay $75.....come now.....that is NONSENSE

[woodyear99]

A commenter on that article has an interesting point.....

"serenada @Annalee Newitz
First time I heard a story like this, I was raging at the firemen. And, obviously, having your *home* burn down is a really terrible thing to happen to anyone. But fighting fires costs money, and unless someone can show me the FD is profligate with their money, everyone should be able (and also willing) to pay for their services. If it's not in taxes (which it clearly isn't for the unincorporated area), then, yeah, off the top.

None of which puts that woman's life back together again, but what if the fire department doesn't put fires out because it can't afford to? A line has to be drawn somewhere. "

[VirtueTT]

Money or not, it makes you wonder what kind of morals those "men" have. Lovely how in ALL those movies, the US, especially their fire and police services, are always shown to have this die hard and patriotic, "let's save everyone's life no matter what" mentality. Misrepresentation  .

This adds to my pool of, "why i don't complain about living in Trinidad." Still better off than half the world

[shivanandrs]

Money or not...

I can't see any normal minded person standing idly by, watching someone's home burn to the ground when you have equipment on location capable of putting out the fire.

[Redlum08]

Money or not, it makes you wonder what kind of morals those "men" have. Lovely how in ALL those movies, the US, especially their fire and police services, are always shown to have this die hard and patriotic, "let's save everyone's life no matter what" mentality. Misrepresentation  .

This adds to my pool of, "why i don't complain about living in Trinidad." Still better off than half the world

Aye Aye, the Fire Department in NYC would never do that eh...this is just a backward town obviously that has its own stupid laws and budgetary constraints....not ALL of America would be like that...Issue here is State/Local and Federal Laws are different and come in to effect depending on jurisdiction. I guess this town just doesn't give a rats a$$...

[VirtueTT]

Forgive my crude and generalized statement. Makes me wonder why the US isnt 51 separate countries instead of states since the laws very from state to state. Even local law enforcement only has jurisdiction in their own state no? U can be arrested for crimes in one state that aren't crimes in another =/ *mind explodes*

[Redlum08]

Forgive my crude and generalized statement. Makes me wonder why the US isnt 51 separate countries instead of states since the laws very from state to state. Even local law enforcement only has jurisdiction in their own state no? U can be arrested for crimes in one state that aren't crimes in another =/ *mind explodes*

Yes, depends on the crime...sometimes its just a difference in punishment...say 30 days in Prison for drunk driving in Atlanta vs. 1-2 days in NYC. All depends on resources, public opinion in the town or state, sometimes even Biases (though they would never admit), etc.

[W1nTry]

This is my take:
1. They're stupid
2. If she didn't pay why did they drive out to begin with? Isn't this a 'cost' issue, driving out there to do NOTHING is MORE expensive than just letting her call go unanswered.

So regardless of laws, etc this demonstrates how stupid ppl are.

[Mez]

lol i sure they waste more than $75 just going there to watch it

[Redlum08]

lol i sure they waste more than $75 just going there to watch it

I would bet on it...

[LQDSNK]

They probably went to make sure no one else who paid had their house caught ablaze actually.

[woodyear99]

They probably went to make sure no one else who paid had their house caught ablaze actually.

Yeah that is a good point, though you would think that putting out the blaze would ensure that others who paid weren't affected. I assume though that many in the area did not pay since it is a poor rural area.

[Redlum08]

They probably went to make sure no one else who paid had their house caught ablaze actually.

Yeah that is a good point, though you would think that putting out the blaze would ensure that others who paid weren't affected. I assume though that many in the area did not pay since it is a poor rural area.

Emphasis on "POOR"