Comment by Ancapistani
3 years ago
> People used to subscribe to fire service, or ambulance service. It doesn't work, and is also bad for society.
That's interesting - FEMA says that 70% of the fire departments in the US are all-volunteer, and >90% have a volunteer component.
https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/registry/summary#g
I've lived in areas with volunteer fire departments that paid for their operations primarily with "fire dues" for most of my life. As far as I know, most volunteer departments operate like that.
I had no idea they didn't work. I wonder if anyone has told them?
Subscription fire departments and volunteer fire departments aren't the same thing. I know all about volunteer fire departments, and have worked with them in the past.
Subscription fire departments were commercial entities, sometimes run by insurance companies, to which you paid a regular subscription fee. If you house was on fire, they'd extinguish the flames. If your neighbor's house was on fire, and they didn't subscribe, then they let it burn.
Citing a completely different thing does not refute what I wrote. It just illustrates that you don't fully understand the issue.
That’s literally how it works in much of the rural South. You pay fire dues, or they will only act to save human life. Otherwise they’ll watch your house burn to the ground with you.