There are dozens and dozens of “protection plans” available for most anything in this world. What you are suggesting is that if I didn’t buy an extended warranty for Appliance X and that item breaks, then I won’t pay the repair costs because I didn’t pay for the protection plan. This is not supported by reality. It’s a choice between paying up front based on the possibility of loss (an insurance model) or paying when you need the service (a fee-for-service model). The only difference is that the fire department did not offer a fee-for-service model - it was paying the protection money up front or you get no service at all.
As for the second point, perhaps you’re simply uninformed.
http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/Home-burns-while-firefighters-watch-again-135069773.html
“But once on the scene, they only watched.”
If you’re suggesting they were there to protect other homes, they failed at that too as I have already outlined.
Ignore personal responsibility and let the gubmint provide you services. While NOT paying for those services.