> Why are firefighters volunteers anyway instead of getting paid?

Government structure and basic economics. Fire depts are mainly funded by local taxes (property, sales) so low-risk rural places can't afford a fully staffed fire dept

>Why should any company create software that they can’t do at a profit - ie rewriting software for a new federal standard?

Where was it stated that any of these acquired companies were unprofitable? It's heavily implied that these PE firms are simply maximizing profit through anti-competitive behavior