Because no one is actually seriously proposing to pay prisoners the same rate as real firefighters; we just shouldn't be using prisoners. Would you allow prisoners to volunteer as teachers, nurses, engineers? Why is the market for firefighters the only one that gets free volunteers from this pool?

But it's not just hurting the firefighter market, lots of people just have issues with using prisoners as slaves.

> Would you allow prisoners to volunteer as teachers, nurses, engineers?

If part of their job description was the equivalent of clearing brush/cutting fire lines in emergencies, I might consider it.

> Why is the market for firefighters the only one that gets free volunteers from this pool?

Do you have another source of willing, not-risk-averse, physically fit and competent people that are not doing anything else, know each other already, can be there ready to work together at a moment’s notice, and won’t bail partway through to go fill an instacart order?