Comments on: The Tennessee house fire: The tales of Good and Bad Samaritans https://wthrockmorton.com/2010/10/11/the-tennessee-house-fire-the-tales-of-good-and-bad-samaritans/ A [retired] college psychology professor's observations about public policy, mental health, sexual identity, and religious issues Wed, 30 May 2018 22:13:44 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 By: Mary https://wthrockmorton.com/2010/10/11/the-tennessee-house-fire-the-tales-of-good-and-bad-samaritans/#comment-94863 Wed, 30 May 2018 22:13:44 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com/?p=7684#comment-94863

I have to blame, not the firefighters, but all those responsible in the past for putting them in this invidious legal situation.

I do too. If I had a family, a career to worry about, etc…etc… I would do what I was told to do or not do. Times are tough – very tough. And people have become litigious monsters at the expense of other people’s kindness.

Good Samaritan laws apply when someone is obviously in need of medical attention. The responder is released of liability (in most cases) if they attempt to help.

]]> By: Zoe Brain https://wthrockmorton.com/2010/10/11/the-tennessee-house-fire-the-tales-of-good-and-bad-samaritans/#comment-94270 Wed, 30 May 2018 21:19:44 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com/?p=7684#comment-94270 Unfortunately there have been a number of court decisions that have prevented fire departments from recouping any costs in such cases.

In all previous situations, the fire department in question did put out the fire. But when they presented a bill, were told to go whistle for the money, and the courts backed that up. The fire department was told that next time, they should let the fire burn.

So, for the first time, they did.

There’s history here, and it’s not a matter of forgetfulness, but someone making a deliberate decision not to pay. Why should they? The county they’re in decided not to raise taxes by 1.8% to pay the neighbouring county to provide fire services, to leave it up to individual residents to decide to be covered or not. They figured that the other county would put out the fire anyway, no need to pay.

Do we condemn the New York Fire Department for not saving this property? Or the LA one? So why expect another county to do it?

But yes, they should have put out the fire if they were on the spot, legalities be damned. Be they NY, LA, or whoever. Just remember – they could be sued for any damage they did to the house while doing that. That’s happened too, with such unauthorised intervention in the past.

I have to blame, not the firefighters, but all those responsible in the past for putting them in this invidious legal situation.

]]> By: Mary https://wthrockmorton.com/2010/10/11/the-tennessee-house-fire-the-tales-of-good-and-bad-samaritans/#comment-94271 Wed, 30 May 2018 21:19:44 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com/?p=7684#comment-94271 I doubt any decent person would let the house burn down. However, as a paid civil servant, I would be reluctant to put out a fire on an unpaid consumer because the city, county etc… might make me pay for it. I would have called every person in a position to waive that responsibility.

]]> By: Dan Vojir https://wthrockmorton.com/2010/10/11/the-tennessee-house-fire-the-tales-of-good-and-bad-samaritans/#comment-93863 Wed, 30 May 2018 21:02:01 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com/?p=7684#comment-93863 Bryan Fischer, as “everybody-but-Tony-Perkins” knows, is a firm Christofascist. He also said that since letting the house burn down was “the Christian thing to do” it was therefore the right thing to do. Fischer will not rest until the country is “Christian Only” and it is his kind of compassion-less Christianity (if there is such a thing). However, we should all be concerned about Glenn Beck’s definition of compassion, since more people listen to him and claim he’s their hero. He went so far as to mock the Cranick family and poke fun at their house burning down.

If someone had died in the fire due to the inactivity of the fire department, the would be a federal investigation and a flurry of laws against “subscription” services. As it stands, only five pets were killed. The Humane Society is now being reviled by Beck & Co. for criticizing the fire department.

Compassion, it seems, is under siege.

I composed a gif on this very subject Use it if you want to.

Thanks for a solid, insightful, and compassionate read.

]]> By: Dan Vojir https://wthrockmorton.com/2010/10/11/the-tennessee-house-fire-the-tales-of-good-and-bad-samaritans/#comment-43753 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 02:19:29 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com/?p=7684#comment-43753 Bryan Fischer, as “everybody-but-Tony-Perkins” knows, is a firm Christofascist. He also said that since letting the house burn down was “the Christian thing to do” it was therefore the right thing to do. Fischer will not rest until the country is “Christian Only” and it is his kind of compassion-less Christianity (if there is such a thing). However, we should all be concerned about Glenn Beck’s definition of compassion, since more people listen to him and claim he’s their hero. He went so far as to mock the Cranick family and poke fun at their house burning down.

If someone had died in the fire due to the inactivity of the fire department, the would be a federal investigation and a flurry of laws against “subscription” services. As it stands, only five pets were killed. The Humane Society is now being reviled by Beck & Co. for criticizing the fire department.

Compassion, it seems, is under siege.

I composed a gif on this very subject Use it if you want to.

Thanks for a solid, insightful, and compassionate read.

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