Here in the PA suburbs we mostly have volunteer fire depts. There may be one or two paid full-timers in each firehouse, but the bulk are part-timers who work a regular job. I work next to one of the volunteers, and the company is understanding when he's late because he was at a fire overnight.
I would think that being a firefighter to be a young man's game, where a college student could be at the firehouse on those days when he doesn't have classes, and do his homework between fire calls. When he graduates, he would move on and let some other college student take his slot.
Good point, though not one that would be considered by our entrenched firefighters here. That is one of the reasons NJ people are fleeing to PA; the cost of living here is crushing. Every family unit is expected to pony up for one school teacher, one emergency responder, two illegal aliens, and one member of our permanent underclass. It was difficult enough before we started facing Asian-scale wages; now it is all but impossible. Many of the companies and lucrative jobs have left the state.