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Notes -
Not a volunteer firefighter but served a decade in an army reserve unit in a European country.
First off the quality of these types of organizations vary massively depending on the volunteers they get. Volunteering and being active can make a major difference, and that does motivate a lot of people.
Excitement is a motivator. Regular life is boring and many strive for something a bit beyond it. You get interesting experiences, great training, action and some great stories.
It is a way of finding a group of guys on a mission. Usually the quality of men is reasonably high, and the team spirit is good.
Compared to other hobbies it is still financially lucrative. Boating, motorcycles or mountaineering are far worse financial decisions than serving in a volunteer organization yet you still get cool toys. Arguably cooler toys than most hobbyists.
For some there is social prestige, for some they want to show that they are tough and manly and not just weak office workers. Some want to escape their regular lives, others want to break the monotony of 9-5 office work.
Don't army reserves get paid for training time? (Admittedly at pro-rata to regular army, which works out well below-market) They do in the UK.
Sweden and Finland barely pay at all. Mass conscript militaries don't really pay troops.
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