[daepp]

I live in a small bedroom community in Southern California. We have our own professional fire department. The small bedroom community next door to us has their own FD. From time to time it is mentioned that we should get rid of our fire department and go with the county. But the FD always makes the argument that then we would lose local control and local familiarity by the FD.

So why not go volunteer? Judging from the men I know and the long lines when the FD is hiring, we would have a bumper crop of volunteers. Perhaps the city/county or state could provide the necessary training? And I happen to know that our local FD almost never responds to actual fires. More than 90% are medical emergencies where the hook and ladder with rear driver roles to support the EMT.

The bottom line is, how long can our society afford to pay the high FD salaries, and their bloated retirements. In CA, it is common practice to bank overtime or give it to the soon-to-be retired to artificially inflate their pensions. And by some accounts up to 80% go out on disability near the end of their careers (at around 50) so that half of their retirement income becomes non-taxable.

Didn't a voluntary FD work for a very long time? Why won't it work now.