Experience?? Why do some things not count???

I've got my CDL several months ago, and have a slight dilemma. I cannot understand why that my being on the local fire department and ambulance system, being a driver for both, does this not count as some type of experience??? I'm sure there are some of you out there, who have been in this a while, will say that its just driving a big 4 wheeler, and it shouldn't count for anything. Understand this though. I live in a rural area, and there are not fire hydrants every 300 feet, so we have to take the water to the fire. This means driving a tanker truck, hauling 2,000 to 3,000 gallons of water, usually at high speeds, and all the while having to maintain control of the vehicle and look out for every moron that's out for a sunday drive who doesn't respond to the lights and sirens of a large truck coming up his you know what. And the same type of thing goes for driving an ambulance, not only do you have a patient that you are transporting for anything from a severe hang nail, to a heart attack or stroke. You have to get the patient to the hospital (where i'm at the nearest hospital is 20 miles away), maintain the safety of your patient, and your crew. Is this magical 2 years OTR experience that most empoyers are looking for just to say that you know how to handle a tractor trailer? I have gotten the gist that most of this is because of insurance reasons. I know I've rambled on a bit here, but if anyone could give me some insight it would be appreciated.

 

But these are the same insurance companies that insure me to drive a $300,000 + fire engine at what is considered high risk to start with...

 

I understand the CMV requirements are somewhat exempt to drive emergency vehicles, but, in my state, you are required to carry the license for the size of the truck you will be driving. My case I have to carry a Class B. If I were to get into an accident, or have a violation while driving one of these vehicles, the penalties would be the same as what they would be for you. Most people think that we are exempt from traffic laws when we have the lights and sirens on, which is false, we have to follow a whole different set of regulations. I wish that driving farm trucks was applicable for experience, my first experience pulling a trailer was at age 15, hauling big round bales on a 35' flatbed gooseneck. Would have been great if it was just going down the road, but this was pulling out of a field, through a pasture, through another field, then to the road to get back to the farm. Want to talk on the job training??? LOL