[grhino]

Do volunteer firefighters provide their own equipment as well? I could believe that most firefighters are volunteer. I would be surprised to hear that most firefighting was volunteer.

[djrogers]

Most firefighters calls are not to fight fires - they are acting in a paramedic role with very loud and big transport.

This isn't an anti-firefighter screed, but 75% of what they do can be (and is in some cases) done more efficiently by ambulance crews.