Fire Taxes

This subject has been on the news a couple of times in the past few months.  In many places, and also in Summer Shade, we have fire taxes.  The fire department is all volunteer and it costs money to run the department.  So instead of having this included in property taxes, they send out a bill each December for your fire taxes.  In many places. if the house is on fire and the fire department arrives and discovers you have not paid your tax, too bad, so sad.  That's why this has been in the news. Someone "forgot" to pay or just didn't care and took a chance and then they got mad when the firemen came out and did nothing.  I guess I'm on the side of the firemen, this is established policy down here and everyone knows it.  They told us three times at the house closing "be sure and pay the fire taxes for the year".
Now the Summer Shade department is a bit more progressive. They will come out and put out the fire but you have to pay them $500.  Seems fair to me!  Much easier to pay it in the first place and help to support the department!