
When You Dial 911 and Wall Street Answers - azuajef
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/26/business/dealbook/when-you-dial-911-and-wall-street-answers.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
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jrnichols
This came across as a fairly weak article to me, focusing on one company that
other forums said had a history of bad management, coupled with one greedy
capital firm. Also, it seemed like the authors really just don't understand
the history of the fire service. It mostly started off as a subscription based
service. You can still see cast plaques on old buildings showing which
insurance company the subscriber paid for.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_insurance_mark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_insurance_mark)

It also failed to mention that usually the fire incidents were because a
homeowner refused to pay for fire services, and that the county didn't have it
as part of a tax. This sort of thing is rare in the United States these days,
but does happen in some very rural areas. And it's almost always a risk that
the homeowner takes on their own.

I personally understand how wages make quality EMS difficult. Reimbursement
rates have remained low and fairly stagnant, which is one thing keeping wages
down where they are.

