Fire Sale - The Free Market Fire Department

By Pat Berkheim
Contributing Writer

All products best serve people if they are privately run and controlled by the free market, not!

*The free market has ups and downs - not allowing consistent fire department services.


*The cost of duplicate equipment for competing fire departments would drive the cost of protection to extreme levels.


*Some fire departments would not be able to maintain a profit margin - they would cut services or go out of business leaving gaps in protection. The free market says this is the cost of doing business but before a new service could be obtained the risk is unacceptable.


*The rich would have excellent fire department service. The poor would have little or no service.


*Some fire departments would refuse to protect difficult costumers. There would be people unable to buy protection because of the high cost or flat refusal of any fire department to provide protection.


* Neighbors may opt for no coverage creating a high risk for those living around them. Driving the price higher for those wanting to purchase fire protection.


*The fire department would be motivated to provide service driven by a bottom line or profit for share holders.

If you concede that the fire department is a moral obligation for a government to provide in a not for profit setting, then the free market is not the solution for providing all products and services. The free market will always swing to benefit the wealthy. This is not acceptable for products and services that all citizens have the moral right to equally receive.



Editor’s note: If you doubt the accuracy of this, Just for kicks substitute Fire Department for health care services. See any similarities to reality?