JohnO'L asks "and what about bush fire brigades?"

I don't have any documentation handy but my recollection is that, although volunteer fire brigades started, in Australia, a little over a hundred years ago (as far as formalities are concerned), the concept was brought from Britain. There are some places in the US where they occur ( and may be older) but they seem to have a more limited role and have been replaced by paid versions. The notion of volunteerism in such 'high skills' activities and its differing manifestations around the planet have been a side interest of mine for a while now.

Thread creep warning!
The NSW RFS (and the SES on a national scene) scale, scope and ability to rapidly respond over an area equivalent to all the SE states of the US would have been useful around Louisiana a while ago but the only reason NSW can do such things is because it's the same govt and administration over such a wide area. The New Staters (in New England) and the Riverina people might regard this a distinct disadvantage rather than an advantage, however.

Cheers, Rowan