58. Firefighters

There are more firefighters than ever — and fewer fires for them to fight. So the job has changed. Zachary Crockett slides down the pole. SOURCES:Joshua Hurwitz, lecturer in economics at Tufts University.Eric Mackintosh, administrative battalion fire chief for San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department.Steve Pegram, retired fire chief and township administrator in Ohio. RESOURCES:"The Dire Shortage of Volunteer Firefighters in the US," by Sam Becker (BBC, 2024).San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department 2023 Annual Report (2024)."Essays on the Economics of U.S. Firefighting," by Joshua Hurwitz (Harvard University doctoral dissertation, 2021)."Over Last 20 Years, Annual Fires in the US Declined by About 50% While Career Firefighters Increased More Than 50%?" by Mark J. Perry (AEIdeas, 2015). EXTRAS:"Getting Old, Adventurously," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.