There is an interesting take on this in a column by Ashley Herzog this morning... turning the leftist Oberman argument on its head.
Far from being an example of the type of America tea partiers yearn for, it's rather a great example of what happens when Government runs things.
Had this been a private fire department (as implied by leftists eager to make a point about privatization), by now there would be people fired, contracts terminated, and possibly criminal charges brought.
But since it was a government program, nobody is claiming or targeting any personal responsibility (just following the rules), nobody will likely be disciplined (much less fired) and the most probable outcome is increased funding for those responsible...