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"(Oct. 6) -- A small rural community in western Tennessee is outraged and the fire chief is nursing a black eye after firefighters stood by and watched a mobile home burn to the ground because the homeowner hadn't paid a $75 municipal fee.

South Fulton city firefighters -- equipped with trucks, hoses and other firefighting equipment -- didn't intervene to save Gene Cranick's doublewide trailer home when it caught fire last week. But they did arrive on the scene to protect the house of a neighbor, who had paid his fire subscription fee.

"I just forgot to pay my $75," Cranick told ABC News. "I did it last year, the year before. ... It slipped my mind."

Later that day, Cranick's son Timothy went to the fire station to complain, and punched the fire chief in the face.

"He just cold-cocked him," Police Chief Andy Crocker told the Union City Daily Messenger. The younger Cranick was arrested and charged with felony aggravated assault, and South Fulton Fire Chief David Wilds was treated and released from a hospital, Crocker said.

Firefighters in South Fulton city are under orders to respond only to fire calls within their city limits, as well as to surrounding Obion County, but only to homes there where people have signed up for a fire subscription service.

Because Cranick hadn't paid his fee, firefighters doused the border of his neighbor's property to protect that house in case the flames spread, but wouldn't help him. He lost all his possessions, plus 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.

The fire began when Cranick's grandson set fire to some trash near the house, and the flames leapt up. Cranick said he told the 911 operator that he'd pay whatever fee was necessary, but it was too late.

"I have no problem with the way any of my people handled the situation. They did what they were supposed to do," South Fulton City Manager Jeff Vowell told the Messenger. "It's a regrettable situation any time something like this happens."

But one firefighting expert said the fee system isn't fair to homeowners or firefighters.

"Professional, career firefighters shouldn't be forced to check a list before running out the door to see which homeowners have paid up," Harold Schatisberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said in statement excerpted by MSNBC. "They get in their trucks and go."

I have to side with the Fire department on this one. The family did not pay their bill.

Being in the insurance industry, I've run into claims where people did not pay their bills, their policy cancelled and then they have an accident. They want us to pay the claims on their vehicle and even offer to give us the money to reinstate the policy, but we CANNOT provide coverage retroactively.

It's kind of the same with NYS and insurance. If your policy cancels, and you still have license plates, NYS will begin to fine you $8 every day for the first 30 days, then $10 a day, then $12 a day. There is NO WAY AROUND THIS. People expect us to reinstate their coverage without any lapses so they can avoid the fines. It's not going to happen.

While it's tragic, especially with the loss of the animals, I can see the logic behind this. I'm 100% positive the family received bills for this. I cannot blame the fire company for the family's negligence in not paying their bill. "It slipped my mind" is not a valid or arguable excuse.

According to Salon.com .. this guy didn't "forget" to pay his bill .. this guy is against that horrible thing called Socialism and REFUSED to pay his bill. Karma .. tis a ***** sometimes.

According to Salon.com .. this guy didn't "forget" to pay his bill .. this guy is against that horrible thing called Socialism and REFUSED to pay his bill. Karma .. tis a ***** sometimes.

I read that on another news site also. The thing is he offered to pay his bill when he called 911, so he KNEW he didn't pay it. If they let everyone do that then no one would pay the bill up front and try to pull things like this.

I blame the guy 100%. I blame them even more because the son went down their and PUNCHED a firefighter in the face. He should have been watching his son, not letting him BURN TRASH right next to the home.

It would be another story entirely if there were actual PEOPLE inside of his trailer. I would fault the Fire Dept. if they didn't save a human life, but that isn't the case here.

I blame the guy too .. I pay all my bills asap and have even called insurance companies to double check. This guy was being an ******* and trying to make a point that Socialism (not insurance companies) is evil and will ruin America. Guess he should have looked into that a little closer.

This is why I like living out in the country around a really small town. We don't have a fee thing. However if our house (knock on wood) would ever catch on fire....it would take them awhile to get here. Even longer for departments from other towns.

I do wonder though. If this happens and there are people trapped in the house instead of animals...do they go in and attempt to rescue them?

This is why I like living out in the country around a really small town. We don't have a fee thing. However if our house (knock on wood) would ever catch on fire....it would take them awhile to get here. Even longer for departments from other towns.

I do wonder though. If this happens and there are people trapped in the house instead of animals...do they go in and attempt to rescue them?

I believe they HAVE to, due to the "Good Samaritan" laws. It's kind of the same with my wife who is a nurse. She can be held liable if she does NOT help someone. I'm pretty sure it extends to EMS and Firefighters and Police as well.

Honestly I think both sides are to blame, yes the homeowner should have made sure the fee was paid, although why there is a fee for a public service thats not covered by property taxes or state taxes is absured. The firefighters should have put out the fire regardless, thats their job. This is the same stuff other towns are trying to pull by charging extra fees for public services that are coved by you paying your taxes. Seriously are we going to have to pay an extra fee to get the police to show up?

I dont remember seeing any firefighters refusing to fight wildfires in states where they cant pay their bills do you?(looking at you California) Police, Firefighters, and other public workers have sworn an oath to help protect the public and nowhere in that oath does it say only if your fees are paid up.

Honestly I think both sides are to blame, yes the homeowner should have made sure the fee was paid, although why there is a fee for a public service thats not covered by property taxes or state taxes is absured. The firefighters should have put out the fire regardless, thats their job. This is the same stuff other towns are trying to pull by charging extra fees for public services that are coved by you paying your taxes. Seriously are we going to have to pay an extra fee to get the police to show up?

I dont remember seeing any firefighters refusing to fight wildfires in states where they cant pay their bills do you?(looking at you California) Police, Firefighters, and other public workers have sworn an oath to help protect the public and nowhere in that oath does it say only if your fees are paid up.

Apparently the problem is that the municipality they live in does NOT have a local fire company or water supply (nearby hydrants). This causes people who live in that municipality to have to pay a fee for the nearest Fire Dept. in the town nearby to respond to problems in their area. The Fire Dept. relies on taxes and local fees to provide their services.

Since the homeowner (and others in that municipality) do not have a Fire Dept. of their own, they do no get assessed taxes that are distributed to a Fire Dept. This is where the $75/yr a fee comes in to play (which in the scheme of things is EXTREMELY cheap when compared to costs in my area).

A similar situation exists in my area as well, where homeowners have to pay a direct fee to a Fire Dept. for them to respond.

That may be the problem but it still doesnt let the Fire Department off of the hook. Do you beleive the Fire Departement emergency services are a public service? If so they should be available to all of the public regardless of whether the fee has been paid. Its the same way for other emergency services, police, healthcare, EMTs. They should have put out the fire and then worried about if he was paid up, if he wasnt add an additional fine or whatever. Yes the fire department relies on those fees and taxes to operate and they are needed, but how many cases in an emergency where they have responded and done there job regardless of whether the person was "paid up"? That is what the resonable response should be and its the right thing to do.

Just to put this in a different light what do you think the public outcry/response to this would have been if the homeowner was an illeagal alien and didnt have the money to pay the fee? I think the firestorm from that would have cost the fire fighters their jobs.

If they want to deny emergency services like this they should just privitize these services then people will get what they paid for.

That may be the problem but it still doesnt let the Fire Department off of the hook. Do you beleive the Fire Departement emergency services are a public service? If so they should be available to all of the public regardless of whether the fee has been paid. Its the same way for other emergency services, police, healthcare, EMTs. They should have put out the fire and then worried about if he was paid up, if he wasnt add an additional fine or whatever. Yes the fire department relies on those fees and taxes to operate and they are needed, but how many cases in an emergency where they have responded and done there job regardless of whether the person was "paid up"? That is what the resonable response should be and its the right thing to do.

Just to put this in a different light what do you think the public outcry/response to this would have been if the homeowner was an illeagal alien and didnt have the money to pay the fee? I think the firestorm from that would have cost the fire fighters their jobs.

If they want to deny emergency services like this they should just privitize these services then people will get what they paid for.

Please don't use the illegal alien example. Regardless of the status of their citizenship, the fee was not paid so the service was not provided. That's pretty simple in my book.

If there were PEOPLE in the home then I would feel differently, but as it stands this guys is a dumbass. He purposely did not pay his bill, he knew it. He took a risk and lost, and I blame him.

We can agree to disagree though!

I agree the guy was a dumbass as alot of people are, but they still get help in times of emergency. Just like the kid playing with matches or the guy trying to get rid of his christmas tree by shoving it a bit at a time in the wood burning stove. I think the firefighters have a responsibilty to help people in emergencies regardless of whether it was self inflicted or an accident or just plain dumbassedness or even someone who does not pay their taxes or fees on purpose, the reason I beleive this is becasue they themselves have sworn to take on that resposibility. The firefighters in question did not live up to that. I can agree to disagree and leave it at that.

I agree 100% with you Chris .. and the whole "everything should be privatized and you should be allowed to buy a service if you want" is sort of a weird strange area. How do you privatise something like the Fire Dept. or Police? I live in a town were taxes pay for all these services but I don't, nor do I ever plan to have children. Therefore I should not have to pay for a school tax right? I don't care if my neighbors can't afford private schools and has to send their kids to public schools, it's a service I never plan on using. I also don't particularly care about whatever war America is fighting right now and I think the Homeland Security Tax is total B.S. .. therefore I shouldn't be forced to pay it right? My wife goes to the library a lot, and that's a public service but she doesn't go to the library in Princeton so we should have to pay taxes to keep that library around right?

Where are we supposed to draw the line when it comes to paying for public services and private services?

I agree the guy was a dumbass as alot of people are, but they still get help in times of emergency. Just like the kid playing with matches or the guy trying to get rid of his christmas tree by shoving it a bit at a time in the wood burning stove. I think the firefighters have a responsibilty to help people in emergencies regardless of whether it was self inflicted or an accident or just plain dumbassedness or even someone who does not pay their taxes or fees on purpose, the reason I beleive this is becasue they themselves have sworn to take on that resposibility. The firefighters in question did not live up to that. I can agree to disagree and leave it at that.

Yes. THEY, as human beings, should get help in times of emergency. Their stuff however, should not, since they failed to pay.

Big huggy bunches DUBL!

In this case, due to the community the people live in and there being a lack of public fire department for said community, the fire department has been and was privatized for these people to use by their local government. Hence the $75 fee that was to be paid. On the billing, it clearly states that if the bill is not paid no services will be rendered. I have lived in an area where this is the case and it is pretty standard for areas that do not have or can not afford to have a public fire department.

Right or wrong, the firefighters were doing what their superiors told them to do. If you read the oath taken by most firefighters, they promise to do as their superiors tell them to do and in smaller communities like this is especially true.

What about this .. IF the fire department went in, helped this guy, put out the fire, and then BILLED him for the service . . would that be a better thing.

I don't have Health Care right now so if I go to the hospital for a cut or broken arm .. yes they HAVE to help me, but they also bill me for the services and I HAVE to pay. Do you think this guy would have paid if he wasn't watching his home burn down?

I get what all of you are saying... but I don't agree with it, I understand he didn't pay and it was his fault, et cetera. I think it's just human decency to not just stand by a fire when you can clearly do something and let it burn down a house and family pets. It's not about the risk he took, it's just morally wrong imo to let a house burn down along with all of its possesisons.

I get what all of you are saying... but I don't agree with it, I understand he didn't pay and it was his fault, et cetera. I think it's just human decency to not just stand by a fire when you can clearly do something and let it burn down a house and family pets. It's not about the risk he took, it's just morally wrong imo to let a house burn down along with all of its possesisons.

While I do agree, almost no one would risk their jobs to help. It's sad, but true.

I get what all of you are saying... but I don't agree with it, I understand he didn't pay and it was his fault, et cetera. I think it's just human decency to not just stand by a fire when you can clearly do something and let it burn down a house and family pets. It's not about the risk he took, it's just morally wrong imo to let a house burn down along with all of its possesisons.

I'm with Jb.

Methodically, a bit by bit, we're growing apart from each other. That's all I'm going to say about that.

Be a human being. Do the right thing. Bill his *** later, and if he doesn't pay up, then start levying fines and make his life a little harder for being a dumbass. No way could I stand idly by while someone's pets are burning to death and their home goes up in cinders.

Be a human being. Do the right thing. Bill his *** later, and if he doesn't pay up, then start levying fines and make his life a little harder for being a dumbass. No way could I stand idly by while someone's pets are burning to death and their home goes up in cinders.

And a homeless burden is created for the city/county.

FOR SEVENTY FIVE FREAKING DOLLARS

This whole story is full of wrong people. None hold the high ground. It shows how brutal and blind and proud and heartless but mostly how foolish we all can be.

I see it this way, he may not have paid his $75 but now without his home and belongings where is he going to turn for help? Answer: the government. Tax payers in the end will probably pick up the burden of his losses and stupidity.

I think i'd personally put the fire out. Id fight my termination to my grave. Could you look a man in the eye as everything he has is destroyed? I couldn't. Not when its at my fingertips to stop it.

Humanity has died a little more.

I think i'd personally put the fire out. Id fight my termination to my grave. Could you look a man in the eye as everything he has is destroyed? I couldn't. Not when its at my fingertips to stop it.

Humanity has died a little more.

Yeah, that's how I feel, too. I've had a home totally burn down. It's devastating. It puts you into a deep well of depression. I couldn't stand by and watch it happen to anyone else. Not even a bad person whom I hated.