FWIW, The terms should be "paid firefighter" or "volunteer firefigher".
Since the early '80s, I've known and trained with many firefighters, some of
which are firefighters by profession, and they get paid to do what I and
many thousands across America do as a volunteer.  Some firefighters who are
paid for their service do not do so as professionally as some of the
volunteers I've spent time with, and just because I collect a paycheck to
work in the telecom industry, doesn't mean that I am any less professional
as a firefighter just because I do so as a volunteer.

While it is true that water has issues when put on a burning puddle of
liquid, one should not discount the garden hose as a usable tool for saving
property.  THIS volunteer firefighter used a garden hose to save the
neighbor's house from burning down when the rubber propane hose on his
grille (sitting on his side porch) failed and caused the wood siding as well
as the lattice trim to ignite.  As to the chemical fire retardant, from the
'80's till the most recent pumper purchase (2005), the department I ran with
didn't have any means of using (let alone having) such a thing, other than
calling in a not real close mutual aid company.  For a vehicle fire,
protocol would include a standard ABC fire extinguisher, albeit larger than
a standard homeowner's version.  However, when that runs out, firefighters
(regardless of pay status) can't just stand around doing nothing.