I hate to say it, but that might be the connections within the fire department. Don't get me wrong I know of very many volunteers who genuinely do so to be able to help his or her community.
I know many more who volunteer because it becomes an exclusive club, where the members at large become untouchable. One of our local volunteer companies breeds this kind of thing and the membership sticks up for the rest of the membership. And the local police have a habit of looking the other way. Drunk driving, petty theft, speeding in residential areas, talking on the cellphone while driving all get looked the other way because the person is a volunteer fireman. Hell, this company took down the mayor of the village with trumped up charges and supposed video they were going to leak. They were willing to ruin the man's marriage because he wouldn't give them money to buy a pool table for the firehouse and wanted them to stick to official meetings only, not a party hall.
One of the reasons this asshole joined his company? Just asking.
