Nothing herein shall apply to volunteer firefighters. Ascertaining legislative intent was the court's primary objective. See 620 S.W.2d at 901. Id. Public health, safety, and welfare conditions demand a prohibition on strikes by firefighters and police. Without a right to strike, however, firefighters and policemen need a method to bargain with and to settle disputes with their public employers in order to maintain morale.
Similar considerations apply to the instant case.
These public employees were personnel of the fire department, but they were not employed in a fire-fighting capacity. For these reasons, we conclude that the crash and fire rescue personnel of an airport operated by cities, towns, and other political subdivisions are covered by article 5154c-1.