> NFPA estimates there were an estimated 1,115,000 career and volunteer firefighters in the United States in 2018. Of the total number of firefighters 370,000 (33%) were career firefighters and 745,000 (67%) were volunteer firefighters.
Where I live (quite rural) the entire department is composed of volunteers. The "fire chief" even is a volunteer.
We like to say they'll get there just in time to save the foundation.
To volunteer implies you are already well off enough to have housing and food, thus have the luxury of being able to donate your time to volunteering.
Be my guest, go to a small town fire hall and see how “well off” the volunteers are compared to the median HN poster.
I have been. Not one of them are forced to be firefighters. They volunteer
...and FYI, those volunteers get to pick and choose which calls they respond to. Not sure what axe you're grinding, but I'm glad you don't live in my district.
If there was a scale representing job difficulty — firefighter would be among the lowest difficult. I can respect those that volunteer but the ones who are career have no sympathy from me seeing that they are easily in the top 5% of society for doing something that 80% of us can do.