When I was a kid, firemen were like gods. As pure as humanity had to offer, running into danger to save their fellow man. They still have that soul in them, ready to defy every survival instinct, so that others may live. But the danger is an anachronism; a legacy from when our towns were made of pine and pitch, on the verge of burning at the slightest spark. Like so many historical artifacts, the choices that put them in danger do not feel romantic but absurd, making us question how we ever thought that putting them in the path of the flame as the best solution for our collective negligence. And now, through no fault of their own, these heroes sit idle, with courage and selflessness unspent. An echo of a prior age - beautiful, noble, and yet out of place in the modern world.
Were You Aware: SF Fire Department has a budget of $550M (2025). That year, it counted 6,550 fires, mostly outside, with only 300 fires in buildings that year. That means we could just Abolish The Fire Department and when your building burns down, give you $2M!