A few years back, my old fire company sold an ambulance due for replacement to another company just starting up for two dollars.
The building they were using for an EMS substation had been donated by the survivor of the family who had owned it. The rest had been killed in an auto accident near there.
That, and the interest of volunters who trained to become fully qualified EMTs and others to do the administrative work, filled a gap in EMS in the area, cutting the response time in half for their first due area.
The fire companies, the community, everyone pulls together, with a few exceptions, but you are there for the exceptions, too.
Exactly.
To be honest I have no clue which of the 4 or 5 companies closest to me is "my" fire company.......I don't care, I know one of them will respond and so when one is having a fundraising event I am more than happy to participate. And that is voluntary on my part on top of the part of my property tax I already pay to help fund them and the EMTs.
I read yesterday that a VFD in Maryland donated a brand new ambulance to the company that just lost theirs, so now they can return the loaner from paid ambulance service.
As you said, it's all about community.