Private firefighters go to work for California's wealthy

supercanuck wrote: post #2

Where are they getting the water and what roads do they use to service these people? Seems unfortunate in times of lack of supply of fireman that this is tolerated. I’m fairly certain that fire retarding private lawns is not the most efficient use of resources considering the circumstances at the moment.

These are private firemen. If they weren’t hired they would be off doing something else for money. It’s like complaining about people hiring private security guards when there is a police shortage.

Read the article, they aren’t fire retarding private lawns. They are doing preventative work that keeps the fire far away. If it hits the lawn, it’s too late.

More firefighters are better, regardless of which areas are being contained with higher priority. If they were taking away fire fighters from the publicly funded groups or volunteers, then there would be something to bitch about.

Re: Private firefighters go to work for California's wealthy

#6

Post by ossworkerrights » Mon, Oct 28, 2019, 12:31 PM UTC

Amusing how anyone suggesting burying powerlines underground is immediately pushed back by "it's expensive" know it alls. Wondering if power-cuts like 3rd world countries enjoy are preferable over a slight increase in power supply costs, and wether impotence is more desirable over action bEcAuSe iT's eXpEnSivE.

Re: Private firefighters go to work for California's wealthy

#7

Post by slashdev » Mon, Oct 28, 2019, 12:33 PM UTC

supercanuck wrote: post #2

Where are they getting the water and what roads do they use to service these people? Seems unfortunate in times of lack of supply of fireman that this is tolerated. I’m fairly certain that fire retarding private lawns is not the most efficient use of resources considering the circumstances at the moment.

You've got the wrong way of looking at this. The government is unwilling to hire these people, so they're available to private individuals. If the government were winning to fork out tax dollars for private firefighters, there's nothing stopping them from doing so.

The great thing about capitalism, for better or worse, but mostly better is that you or any one other person does not get to decide what constitutes efficient use of resources. Everyone decides that for themself based on self interest and the market ends up magically having this sort of collective intelligence that allocates far better than any alternative system ever has.

Re: Private firefighters go to work for California's wealthy

#8

Post by enriquto » Mon, Oct 28, 2019, 12:34 PM UTC

kortilla wrote: post #5

supercanuck wrote: post #2

Where are they getting the water and what roads do they use to service these people? Seems unfortunate in times of lack of supply of fireman that this is tolerated. I’m fairly certain that fire retarding private lawns is not the most efficient use of resources considering the circumstances at the moment.

These are private firemen. If they weren’t hired they would be off doing something else for money. It’s like complaining about people hiring private security guards when there is a police shortage. Read the article, they aren’t fire retarding private lawns. They are doing preventative work that keeps the fire far away. If it hits the lawn, it’s too late. More firefighters are better, regardless of which areas are bei…

> It’s like complaining about people hiring private security guards when there is a police shortage.

What do you mean with that comparison? This would be quite a legitimate reason for complaining!

Re: Private firefighters go to work for California's wealthy

#9

Post by supercanuck » Mon, Oct 28, 2019, 12:35 PM UTC

slashdev wrote: post #7

supercanuck wrote: post #2

Where are they getting the water and what roads do they use to service these people? Seems unfortunate in times of lack of supply of fireman that this is tolerated. I’m fairly certain that fire retarding private lawns is not the most efficient use of resources considering the circumstances at the moment.

You've got the wrong way of looking at this. The government is unwilling to hire these people, so they're available to private individuals. If the government were winning to fork out tax dollars for private firefighters, there's nothing stopping them from doing so. The great thing about capitalism, for better or worse, but mostly better is that you or any one other person does not get to decide what constitutes effic…

> The government is unwilling to hire these people, so they're available to private individuals.

Show me the evidence this is happening.

Re: Private firefighters go to work for California's wealthy

#10

Post by cco » Mon, Oct 28, 2019, 12:36 PM UTC

kortilla wrote: post #5

supercanuck wrote: post #2

Where are they getting the water and what roads do they use to service these people? Seems unfortunate in times of lack of supply of fireman that this is tolerated. I’m fairly certain that fire retarding private lawns is not the most efficient use of resources considering the circumstances at the moment.

These are private firemen. If they weren’t hired they would be off doing something else for money. It’s like complaining about people hiring private security guards when there is a police shortage. Read the article, they aren’t fire retarding private lawns. They are doing preventative work that keeps the fire far away. If it hits the lawn, it’s too late. More firefighters are better, regardless of which areas are bei…

This is mostly a zero sum game in the immediate term, and mostly zero sum in the longer term since there is a fairly limited pool of people available to fight fires. If you have the skills to be a fireman but a private individual pays you above market rate to fight their own personal fires then you will remove yourself from the pool of people fighting fires for the public and into a private pool.

Will 20 such private firemen be a problem? No, but 2,000? That would absolutely have an impact on available firefighters for the public.