Fire Dept's 101....categories: 1., No Fire service nor equipment,

[opihimoimoi]

2, Volunteer Dept's, unpaid...equipt from scratching, scrounging, bought for...

3, Paid Dept's: Members un unionized...usually small units in rual areas...$$ from fee's or other...county not involved....sometime,

the station(s) are linked to a Mutual Aid thingy...a home and home set up...I come to yours, you come to me...usually large shit

4, City and County Dept's: Usually unionized, civil service administered, Retirement system in play, Vac and S/L also.

5, Others include: Private, Military/Federal/inconsequential...

This is what I learned years ago in the Fire Service, Eng 17, Kaneohe, HFD, Hi...perhaps things have changed but I can see both sides

A. This was HORRID, UNACCEPTABLE, etc

B. It was his decision to gamble and he lost...all his excuses don't wash...full of stains and odors. But to the large picture: Better to lose one house than a whole bunch of them...too many freeloaders would bankrupt the system and result in NO FIRE PROTECTION till the nx county arrives, if they do...

and yes, there are times when Fire Dept's have the power to use fire as a tool in controlling conflagrations..sometime whole blocks of homes are torched...intentionally//sacrifice the small to save the GREATER

This whole thingy re incident is understandable...

Esp in this light of GOP Social Engineering by STEALTH...anything to divide/to protest/ to steer....

There would be a few in this pilikea twoubles...

If I had my way...all FDs would be paid...less loss, less fuckups, less injuries/fatalities...better society

Peace

Opi

[BzaDem]

1. "too many freeloaders would bankrupt the system." That's bullshit.

The fire department would collect thousands of dollars from each "freeloader" just like emergency rooms do, and use the same methods hospitals do to collect on the bill.

They had no excuse to avoid putting out that fire. None.

[distantearlywarning]

2. Except that the last time the non-subscriber had a fire

they billed him, and he didn't pay.

[opihimoimoi]

4. He is the Excuse Meister of the area...all excuses, no meat...

[opihimoimoi]

3. That was the trend of thought at implementation...At $75 per year...I don think so

[Hannah Bell]

9. this is a town of 2,500 people. there's less money in that town than in one big-city hospital.

this dispute has been going on for decades. the city used to fight all fires and charge after the fact & more than half the beneficiaries never paid.

if it's so easy to collect "thousands of dollars," don't you think they would have figured out how to do it over a period of more than 20 years?

[Historic NY]

5. If they form a governmental entity "fire district" they could tax for equipment & expenses....

elected representatives could set a budget before the community and assess the needs. We have them here in NY.

[Abq_Sarah]

12. New Mexico counties

Are allowed under the local options for Gross Receipts Tax to levy a fire excise tax. The GRT is collected by businesses from residents and visitors alike to fund our VFDs. States with sales taxes probably have the same provisions and if there is no sales tax, it can be taken out of property taxes.

There's no reason for counties not to have some mechanism in place to fund fire fighting. Uncontrolled fires don't just threaten property, they take lives.

[Mimosa]

6. The un-recs don't get your point

I do. This is a HUGE teaching opportunity. ;)

[aikoaiko]

7. +1 Huge teaching opportunity about the importance of social goods.

May many people learn.

[opihimoimoi]

8. Thank You...:o)...some music to brighten the mood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC5wThPDwg0&feature=fvsr

[Hannah Bell]

10. "GOP Social Engineering by STEALTH" = agreed.

[opihimoimoi]

14. Ain't dat da TRUTH tho...:o)

[Swamp Rat]

11. k&r

:hi:

[opihimoimoi]

16. Yo Swampy....come, we go fish Mahimahi...big luau, hula girls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC5wThPDwg0&feature=fvsr

good music

[entanglement]

13. Such incidents are the symptoms of a society in an advanced state of decay

This episode should not be viewed in isolation; it is one of (many) signs that competing right-wing ideologies are tearing apart the very fabric of society. Humans organize for collective good; that is the basis of civilization. Weaken the already feeble notions of what collective 'good' means, and you weaken civilization itself.

[opihimoimoi]

15. It seems they cannot comprehend your post. Together we stand thingy rejected for Fantasy