<div dir="ltr"><div>Two recent articles in <i>The New York Times</i>:</div><div>&quot;Pandemic Wilderness Explorers Are Straining Search and Rescue&quot; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/07/us/coronavirus-wilderness-search-rescue.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/07/us/coronavirus-wilderness-search-rescue.html</a></div><div>&quot;Rural Ambulance Crews Have Run Out of Money and Volunteers&quot; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/25/us/rural-ambulance-coronavirus.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/25/us/rural-ambulance-coronavirus.html</a></div><div><br></div><div>So many services in the United States rely on volunteer labor, and that labor is less and less available, and/or it is aging and not being replaced.<br></div><div><br></div><div>As an example, here&#39;s a story about a recent rescue in Los Angeles:</div><div>&quot;Hiker Rescued After Man Uses Photo to Pinpoint His Location&quot; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/15/us/missing-hiker-found.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/15/us/missing-hiker-found.html</a></div><div>At least three of the rescuers pictured in the story are volunteers, and notice something about all of them: they are all grey-haired and not getting any younger. To join this team, volunteers need to go through an application and training process that takes <i>up to three and half years</i> and includes half a year of law enforcement training and requires becoming a part-time law enforcement officer. It&#39;s hard to maintain a system with this kind of staffing model. And there are many systems like this in the United States that supply critical services.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Mostly just ranting here. Looking for fellow ranters.<br></div><div><br></div><div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">Richard Wheeler<br><span><font color="#888888"><a href="mailto:richarduwheeler@gmail.com" target="_blank">richarduwheeler@gmail.com</a><br><a href="tel:347.661.8476" value="+13476618476" target="_blank">347.661.8476</a></font></span><br></div></div></div></div></div>