Mass casualty events are rare, but you damned sure want a good response when one happens or the losses will be high. It's a never ending cycle that people seem to suffer from.

OMG so many people died, we need to spare no expense in insuring this doesn't happen again.

[time passes]

OMG these emergency services are so expensive, why do we even have them.

[budget cuts, size cuts, personnel cuts, cuts cuts cuts]

OMG, I'm on fire, everything is on fire, why did the state do this to me, we need to spare no expense in insuring this never happens again.