Defensive operations on an active fire ground are standard operating procedures; no argument.
But most departments do not operate the way this department in Tennessee does where they did not run the call when it was received because the caller was not on their participant list.
They would have likely encountered a brush fire or, at most, a room and contents fire from the structures closest exposure based on the story and they would not have let it just freely burn.
I am absolutely not defending whatever happened in that article. Truly a bizarre situation.
Where I live firefighters certain actions will require a fee (obviously not paid to the firefighters), like pumping out a cellar or felling a tree on private land which is not threatening any property, but actually not fighting a fire when it would be easily possible would be unthinkable.
Defensive operations on an active fire ground are standard operating procedures; no argument.
But most departments do not operate the way this department in Tennessee does where they did not run the call when it was received because the caller was not on their participant list.
They would have likely encountered a brush fire or, at most, a room and contents fire from the structures closest exposure based on the story and they would not have let it just freely burn.