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In Defense of Private Firefighters

There’s nothing wrong with offering to pay for a service people are willing to provide.

NoteverythinghasbeentorchedintheCaliforniawildfires.Someofthosewealthyenoughtodosoinvestedinfiremitigationtechnologyandhiredprivatefirefighterstopreservetheirproperty.KeithWasserman,managingpartneratGeltVenturePartners,arealestateinvestmentfirm,sparkedcontroversywhenheofferedto“payanyamount”to“privatefirefighterstoprotect[his]homeinPacificPalisades.”Althoughhedidnotsavehishome,Wassermanhasbeencalled“incrediblytonedeaf”for“hir[ing]privatefirefighterstorisktheirlivestosaveahomehemostcertainlyhasinsured.” Withsomuchdestruction,thepreservationofanybody’shomeorbusiness—includingthroughprivatefirefighters—fromtheinfernoshouldbecelebrated,notcondemned. Wassermanwasn’ttheonlypersontocallonprivatefirefightersduringthewildfires.RickCaruso,billionaireandformerrealestatedeveloper,succeededinhiring“aprivateteamtoprotecthisPalisadesVillageshoppin