Recently Joy Behar of The View had advocated democratic socialism, even citing first responders as an example. It should be note that in doing so she only mentioned firefighters and ambulances, not police officers. So, I guess she wants to do away with law enforcement.
But is the idea of first responders actually socialist? In order to answer this question, one should look at the history of first responders.
Fire departments/brigades are nothing new, whether they were bucket brigades comprised of local citizens, an all-volunteer force, a professional force, or a combination of professionals and volunteers. The Greeks and Romans had fire brigades (the latter sometimes also serving as a police force). In the subsequent decades, the nations of Europe (and the United States) had fire brigades.
The idea of a professional fire department can first be attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, known as the Sapeurs-Pompiers (Sappers-Firefighters). Then in 1824, the first municipal fire brigade was established in Edinburgh, Scotland. Eight years later, London had its own fire brigade. In 1853, Cincinnati became the first American city to have a full-time, paid fire department. Eventually, other cities in America and elsewhere in the world would follow suit.
As a result, many fire departments are part of the public sector, and consist of both professionals (i.e. paid individuals) and volunteers.
Medics, consisting of Emergency Medical Technicians, Paramedics, etc., can be found in both the public sector (sometimes being part of the fire department) and the private sector. They consist of both professionals and volunteers, and their origin can be traced back to Ancient Rome.
Law enforcement can also be traced back to Ancient Times. Sheriffs, constables, watchmen, etc. were given the authority of keeping the peace and maintaining law and order in their respective communities. And, aside from some volunteers, are paid, professional individuals within the public sector.
The roles of all three professions have evolved over the centuries. Medics don’t just transport sick or injured people to the hospital; they have to keep them alive and stable. Firefighters don’t just put out fires, they also provide fire prevention services, rescue services, and medical services. The police don’t just patrol, they also investigate crimes, and have also engaged in rescue and medical services. Thus, all of these professions provide life-saving services. And keep in mind they are trained individuals.
But are they really socialist considering they are part of the public sector? They are essential given their duties involved saving lives and property. And it is unlikely that the idea of having a publicly-run police department or fire department was intended a socialist concept. And is having a public police or fire department any different from having an army or navy, since they are also part of the public sector?
Thus, the idea of first responders owned and operated by state and local governments can hardly be considered to be socialist.
