Firefighters let house burn due to late fee [or how the system fails, again]

[BoyScoutKevin]

Isn't that along the lines of what the fire services in ancient Rome were said to have done?  Stand and watch unless/until fees were paid?

Sorta. The richest man in Rome during the first century B.C. was a man named Marcus Linicius Crassus, who maintained a private fire fighting company of 500 men. And when a fire broke out in Rome, these firefighters would show up at the fire, but they would only agree to fight the fire, if the property owner sold the property to Crassus at a reduced price. Which the property owner normally would do, as it was either that or watch his property burn down to nothing, which would net him nothing.

Marcus Linicius Crassus is also the man who finally defeated Spartacus and his army of mostly slaves, and he can be seen in 1960's "Spartacus," where he is portrayed by actor Lord Laurence Olivier.

[Pennywise]

There is no excuse for firefighters choosing not to fight a fire. Public safety and trust in the people who we entrust it with should never have a dollar amount that must be paid personally. It should be paid for with tax dollars, which is what I thought it was in the first place.

The immediate termination of these firefighters and their superiors is needed to restore the image of firefighters in that community and maintain the trust of the people.

[Umaril The Unfeathered]

There is no excuse for firefighters choosing not to fight a fire. Public safety and trust in the people who we entrust it with should never have a dollar amount that must be paid personally. It should be paid for with tax dollars, which is what I thought it was in the first place.

The immediate termination of these firefighters and their superiors is needed to restore the image of firefighters in that community and maintain the trust of the people.

   

Sadly, terminating them won't change the law. The law has to be changed.  But, your opinion is a good start.

At best, in lieu of firing, take a monetary amount equal to the value of the house out of the pension of the guy responsible for it. Hell, take all of it and give it to the people in a punitive measure, to let them know this will not be tolerated, and it will NOT happen a second time.