Fire crew sits idly by as resident faces blaze

Feb 17 19:34 UTC 2006

Flames injure man who says he didn't know to pay dues.

NEWS-LEADER STAFF AND WIRES

Firefighters near Monett stood by and watched a fire destroy a garage
and a vehicle because the property owner, who was injured battling the
flames, had not paid membership dues.

Monett Rural Fire Department Chief Ronnie Myers defended the policy,
saying the membership-based organization could not survive if people
thought the department would respond for free. The department said it
will fight a fire without question if a life is believed to be in danger.

Myers said he would make an effort to explain the membership policy to
the area's new Hispanic residents after the property's owner, Bibaldo
Rueda, said he had never been told of the dues policy since moving there
1 1/2 years ago.

Barry County Sheriff's Detective Robert Evenson said the fire broke out
Monday on four acres owned by Rueda south of Monett, about 40 miles
southwest of Springfield.

Four mobile homes and a number of vehicles were on the property. Rueda
managed to get one mobile home out of danger, using a garden hose and
buckets, but was burned in the process, Evenson said.

The Monett Rural Fire Department responded to the scene but did not
fight the fire. Firefighters stood by as the fire burned itself out,
watching in case the flames spread to neighboring properties owned by
members.

"People need to realize you've got to become a member. If you live
outside the city limits, you need to join one of the rural fire
departments," Myers said.

Rueda offered to pay, Evenson said, but the Monett department does not
have a policy for on-the-spot billing.

Randy Cole, assistant state fire marshal, said there was no state law
requiring membership-supported fire districts to help nonmembers in any
situation.

However, state law says those departments may perform services for a
nonmember if they choose, and then charge the nonmember based on a set
amount outlined in statute, Cole said.

Though more membership-driven departments have been forming
tax-supported protection districts, they still remain prevalent in rural
regions across the state, he said.

Cassville and Mount Vernon have gone to tax- supported rural fire
districts, following a public vote, wherein all fires are fought.

Rural Monett members have not been asked to choose between memberships
and tax support, though they came out strongly against a proposed Aurora
Rural Bi-County Fire Protection District, which was voted down in 2001.


http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060217/NEWS01/60217
0368

response 2 of 42:

Feb 17 19:43 UTC 2006

I bet his property is a cheap grab.  What's the address? ;)

response 4 of 42:

Feb 17 19:56 UTC 2006

What does this have to do with libertarianism?

response 6 of 42:

Feb 17 20:02 UTC 2006

Some Libertarians would argue that fire response is an example of something
better served by the private sector rather than the government, at least
in some cases.

I would think that this guy's property insurance underwriter, if nobody
else, would have taken an interest in the fact that the properly had no
fire response available unless he paid for it at the time they extended
the policy.

response 8 of 42:

Feb 17 21:03 UTC 2006

Re 6: But this really isn't an example of a private sector fire
department, is it?

It would really sicken me if #5 were the case. :(

response 10 of 42:

Feb 17 22:07 UTC 2006

Yes :(

response 12 of 42:

Feb 18 00:18 UTC 2006

yet the guy offered to pay the fee on the spot?  (!!!)

response 14 of 42:

Feb 20 14:21 UTC 2006

There exist other communities with similar schemes for homeowners to opt out
of fire protection.  I can't remember the location of a previous municipality
with contracted fire protection, but it was before the age of computer data
bases.  The fire department hammered medallions into the utitlity poles to
determine if a homeowner had paid his fee or not.