No Pay, No Aid Policy
A Missouri fire department chose not to fight a fire because the owner had not paid membership fees for fire protection (from News-Leader.com).
Firefighters near Monett stood by and watched a fire destroy a garage and a vehicle because the property owner, who was injured battling the flames, had not paid membership dues.Monett Rural Fire Department Chief Ronnie Myers defended the 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.
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The Monett Rural Fire Department responded to the scene but did not fight the fire. Firefighters stood by as the fire burned itself out, watching in case the flames spread to neighboring properties owned by members.
This is really an unfortunate incident. I'm a strong believer in letting each local jurisdiction handle it's own business, but I think there are better ways to fund a fire department. Fight the fire and sort the financial details out later.
