Must a Firetruck Be at Every Rescue Operation?

That was an interesting table on the costs of various types of suburban rescues (“Rescue Me,” by Phuong-Cac Nguyen, Dec. 13). I’m glad to see that the cities are attempting to get reimbursement from people who do foolish things and need to be rescued.

I do wonder, though, why the proposed responses to the hypothetical incidents (which in many cases involved no risk of fire) all included a firetruck. Perhaps the cities are padding the bills or are trying to justify excessive budgets for fire departments.

Patrick Joyce

Long Beach