Town and Country Newspaper

News Article

Who Do You Call?

Written by Larry Roeder, Editor
2012-01-12

Most of the municipalities in our readership area do not allow open burning or limit what you are allowed to burn, when you can burn it and how you can burn it.

The municipal ordinances serve the people of the varied communities according to their requirements as perceived and understood by elected officials. Nearly all of the municipalities that allow open burning limit the combustibles to yard waste – no plastics or other household waste are permitted. Once it is a law it is enforceable by the police, code enforcement officer or fire marshal. Communicating that message to residents is where some municipalities drop the ball and usually the volunteer fire companies have to pick it up.

If you see your neighbor burning plastics or tires along with their yard waste, who should you call? The correct answer, depending on your municipal ordinances, is the police, code enforcement officer or fire marshal. That information, along with the appropriate contact numbers, should be posted and emphasized on municipal websites and communicated through municipal newsletters.

Very few volunteer fire chiefs in our area are authorized by municipal officials to cite those in violation, yet the local volunteer fire companies are usually the first ones dispatched because the caller dialed 911.

Usually the volunteers arrive, douse the fire if necessary and warn the fire-starters of the consequences of their actions. It was a process that worked for years. Ignorance of the law might get you a pass on the first offense and there were few repeat offenders.

In today’s litigious society, as people’s general disregard for each other grows and neighbors choose to become less neighborly, a new problem has surfaced. For whatever reason, there is an increase in neighbor versus neighbor battles and they seldom end until one party moves out of the area.

One person sees his neighbor throwing noxious waste into the burn-pile. The offender either knowingly ignites the pile to upset his neighbor or does it because he or she doesn’t care. What’s the next step? Dial 911 and have two or three fire units and a dozen or so volunteer firefighters respond.

If it is a controlled burning, wouldn’t it be better to call the police, code enforcement officer or fire marshal – any of whom have the authority to have the fire doused and issue a citation.

As the misuse of the 911 emergency-call system escalates during neighborhood tiffs and volunteer fire companies are dispatched to quell neighbor complaints, there is a jurisdictional and complacency risk.

Municipalities would do well to clearly advertise to all of their residents exactly what the burn ordinances are, who enforces the local laws and how to contact them.

Volunteer fire companies have enough to do and we’re thankful that they are there when we need them.

Enforcing laws should be directed to those authorized to do so. Municipalities must do a better job of communicating the details of that message to their residents before somebody gets hurt, sued or worse.

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