This is just not right...
SOUTH FULTON, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee couple has lost everything after their home burned to the ground as firefighters watched and did nothing.
Vicky Bell told WPSD-TV that she called 911 when her mobile home in Obion County caught fire. Firefighters responded but did not put out the blaze because she does not subscribe to the local fire service (http://bit.ly/t639Wo ).
Bell says she could "look out my mom's trailer and see the trucks sitting at a distance."
Rural residents who want fire protection can get service from the nearby town of South Fulton, but they must pay a $75-a-year fee. South Fulton Mayor David Crocker said that if the city's firefighters responded to people who didn't pay there would be no incentive for anyone to subscribe. He said firefighters will help when people are in danger, regardless of whether they have paid.
Vicky Bell told WPSD-TV that she called 911 when her mobile home in Obion County caught fire. Firefighters responded but did not put out the blaze because she does not subscribe to the local fire service (http://bit.ly/t639Wo ).
Bell says she could "look out my mom's trailer and see the trucks sitting at a distance."
Rural residents who want fire protection can get service from the nearby town of South Fulton, but they must pay a $75-a-year fee. South Fulton Mayor David Crocker said that if the city's firefighters responded to people who didn't pay there would be no incentive for anyone to subscribe. He said firefighters will help when people are in danger, regardless of whether they have paid.
OBION COUNTY, Tenn. — A local family watches their home burn to the ground and just a few feet behind them, firefighters watch, too.
It's happened multiple times before in one local community: firefighters refuse to respond because the homeowner didn't pay a fire subscription fee.
The last time this happened, the city of South Fulton, Tennessee, received a lot of heat nationwide for this policy. That was more than a year ago but nothing has changed.
The mayor said it comes down to simple business. If they don't collect fire fees, the fire department can't survive and if they make exceptions to the rule, no one will ever pay the fee.
Besides that, he likes the "pay for spray" policy and said it's fair.
But that's hard to stomach when you've just lost your home and everything you've worked for.
"In an emergency, the first thing you think of, 'Call 9-1-1," homeowner Vicky Bell said.
Firefighters came out.
Bell said, "9-1-1 said they were in fact dispatched and they showed that they were on the scene."
But once on the scene, they only watched.
"You could look out my mom's trailer and see the trucks sitting at a distance," Bell said.
For Bell, that sight was almost as disturbing as the fire itself.
"We just wished we could've gotten more out," Bell said.
It's a controversial policy that we've dealt with before. If you live in the city, you get fire protection but if not, you have to pay the $75 fire protection fee each year. With this policy, the city makes no exceptions.
"There's no way to go to every fire and keep up the manpower, the equipment, and just the funding for the fire department," Mayor David Crocker said.
And Crocker said by now, everyone should know about the city's fire policy.
"After the last situation, I would hope that everybody would be well aware of the rural fire fees, this time," Crocker said.
Bell and her boyfriend admitted they were aware but thought this would never happen to them.
For tonight, this hotel is home and they're happy be alive.
It's happened multiple times before in one local community: firefighters refuse to respond because the homeowner didn't pay a fire subscription fee.
The last time this happened, the city of South Fulton, Tennessee, received a lot of heat nationwide for this policy. That was more than a year ago but nothing has changed.
The mayor said it comes down to simple business. If they don't collect fire fees, the fire department can't survive and if they make exceptions to the rule, no one will ever pay the fee.
Besides that, he likes the "pay for spray" policy and said it's fair.
But that's hard to stomach when you've just lost your home and everything you've worked for.
"In an emergency, the first thing you think of, 'Call 9-1-1," homeowner Vicky Bell said.
Firefighters came out.
Bell said, "9-1-1 said they were in fact dispatched and they showed that they were on the scene."
But once on the scene, they only watched.
"You could look out my mom's trailer and see the trucks sitting at a distance," Bell said.
For Bell, that sight was almost as disturbing as the fire itself.
"We just wished we could've gotten more out," Bell said.
It's a controversial policy that we've dealt with before. If you live in the city, you get fire protection but if not, you have to pay the $75 fire protection fee each year. With this policy, the city makes no exceptions.
"There's no way to go to every fire and keep up the manpower, the equipment, and just the funding for the fire department," Mayor David Crocker said.
And Crocker said by now, everyone should know about the city's fire policy.
"After the last situation, I would hope that everybody would be well aware of the rural fire fees, this time," Crocker said.
Bell and her boyfriend admitted they were aware but thought this would never happen to them.
For tonight, this hotel is home and they're happy be alive.
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