"I think they card people at strip clubs so the underage team members would not be able to go."
A fair point, they also probably wanted to get drunk as skunks, and that leaves the problem of how to get home afterward.
If you read the whole article it is pretty disturbing, at least I found it so.
OTOH, I know a number of firemen who are addicted to their jobs, too. They, however, do put their lives on the line usually to rescue other people, and to preserve the property of others.
Firemen don't usually clear a $2-300 bucks for an hour and half's work. And weird? They don't usually complain, either. Not about the risks, the hazards, or that they love their work.