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October 5, 2010

Tenn. Fire Department Allows Home to Burn Down over Unpaid $75 Fee
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In Tennessee, a local fire department refused to put out a house fire
last week because the homeowner had forgotten to pay $75 for fire
protection from a nearby town. The firefighters showed up to the scene
of the fire and then watched as the home of Gene Cranick burned to the
ground. Cranick’s neighbors had paid the $75 fee, so when the fire
spread across the property line firefighters took action, but only to
save the neighbor’s property. The local mayor defended the actions of
the firefighters. South Fulton Mayor David Crocker said, "Anybody that’s
not in the city of South Fulton, it’s a service we offer. Either they
accept it or they don’t." On Monday, Gene Cranick appeared on Countdown
with Keith Olbermann.

Gene Cranick: "Everything that we possessed was lost in the fire. Even
three dogs and a cat that belonged to my grandchildren was lost in it.
And they could have been saved if they had been—they had put water
on it. But they didn’t do it, so that’s just a loss."

Keith Olbermann: "When you all called 911, as I understand it, you told
the operator you’d pay whatever was necessary to have the firefighters
come put out and prevent the fire from spreading to your house. What was
their response?"

Cranick: "That we wasn’t on their list."



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