[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2), all land.

South Fulton was first known as Jacksonville due to the fact that land in the area once belonged to Andrew Jackson.

[11] Starting in the early 1990s, South Fulton adopted a policy of allowing people outside the city limits to be protected by the fire department, in return for a $75 annual fee.

They called 911, but the fire department refused to respond, because the Cranicks weren't on the list as having paid the tax.

Understanding the premise of the free rider problem, Gene Cranick offered to pay the full cost of the department responding, but was refused.

[13] The South Fulton Fire Department did show up, but refrained from helping, only protecting the property of a neighbor who had paid the tax.

In 2011 this happened again, with Vicky Bell, the homeowner, reporting that the fire department actually pulled up and watched, but did not help.

[12] This policy has been decried by media nationally, including Keith Olbermann,[14] and Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, who said "Professional, career firefighters shouldn’t be forced to check a list before running out the door to see which homeowners have paid up...They get in their trucks and go.