Philosophy Discussion--Utilitarianism

A resident of Obion County, Tennessee, Gene Cranick, lost his home and pets to a fire

because he forgot to pay the annual $75.00 fee for fire protection. Gene Cranick lives

outside the South Fulton city limit, therefore he must pay the South Fulton fire

department the 75 dollar fee at a designated time for protection. He didn’t pay the fee,

and he didn’t get service.

Speaking with media, Gene Cranick said, “I just forgot to pay my $75 "I paid it last year,

and the year before. ... It slipped my mind." Because Cranick forgot to pay the fee, the

firefighters refused to come to his home to extinguish the fire. Cranick pleaded with the

fire department and 911 phone-operator, and said he would pay whatever fee he needed

to pay to get the department to extinguish the fire. The fire department still refused.

The South Fulton fire department had no alternative programs in place, no charitable

emergency organizations that would step in on a moment’s notice and pay the fee, and

apparently no desire to put out Gene Cranick’s mobile home fire on behalf of the state of

Tennessee. Instead, they followed orders and did nothing.

WTMA says the fire department eventually arrived at the scene of the fire when a

neighbor who had paid the fee called for service after the fire spread to his residence.

The fire department did extinguish the fire at the neighbor’s home, but let Cranick’s

home burn to the ground, killing his three pets. Though the neighbor offered to pay for

the department to extinguish the fire at Gene Cranick’s mobile home, the department

refused.

Was it immoral for the fire fighters to refuse to extinguish the fire at Gene

Cranick’s home?