> Those include Fire Departments

I remember watching a discussion about privatizing the local fire department aka the town pays a private company to run the fire department.

Opposition folks use the line:

"You used to have a shield on your building that denoted you had paid for fire coverage. The old fire departments would drive past the unshielded buildings while fighting the fires."

(this is, of course, no longer the case but love to mention this discussion when ever privatization comes up)