Ever heard of "penny wise and pound foolish"? Well,this article is an excellent example.Next time you need heart surgery you could,to save $$$,choose the 25 year old surgeon who just graduated from the University of Bangladesh rather than the 50 year old graduate of Stanford.
Somehow I don't think you'd take Option #1.I know I wouldn't.
I grew up in a small town that had a volunteer fire department. A couple of members had EMT training. Ambulance was 45 minutes away. Competent high school kids could be just as effective. Don’t venture out of the city. You may end up dealing with volunteers.