This 33 year FF is with you on that Brother Firefighter.
This week our department was looking at a $100,000 SCBA replacement program. That's just one item VFD's have to purchase. Engines in most districts have to be less than 20 years old in order to keep local fire insurance rates down at $400-$500k a crack, without equipment.
As for the one who questioned the 30 hour thing, you would be surprised how much time a Volunteer participates with calls, meetings, details and training in a week.
After my first reaction that this is insane—
What if the volunteer has health insurance already, either self purchased or through his job? I’ll bet that many of the volunteers have a job (with coverage). They are responsible citizens, as evidenced by their actions.
Why would the fire dept have to provide him additional coverage?
(There may be some retired or unemployed or part-time volunteers, of course. I suggest limiting them to 29 hours, but they probably enjoy spending more time volunteering than that.)
And along those lines, what happens to someone with more than one job? Are all his employeers required to provide health ins?
One aspect of the bo-care is that the mandate is individual, enforced at tax payment time. One taxpayer, one health coverage.
So this is about socialist/union/etc. control. No logic.