Editor’s Viewpoint: Tennessee firefighters say they need pay up front
Would you have ordered your firefighters to put out the trailer fire in South Fulton, Tenn., in late September? That was the question asked of several fire chiefs and officers at the Fire and Emergency Manufacturers Association meeting in San Antonio, Texas, last week by Janet Wilmoth, editorial director for Fire Chief magazine, American City & County’s sister publication.
In her blog, Wilmoth discusses the circumstances surrounding the story of volunteer firefighters in Obion County who responded to a trailer fire on Sept. 29. Upon arrival, they found that the owner had not paid the annual $75 fee for fire-protection services, and therefore, they refused to put out the fire that eventually consumed the home.
Read Wilmoth’s blog post, “You get what you pay for,” and her readers’ responses on the Mutual Aid blog of Fire Chief, our sister publication.