According to the New York Times, private equity firms have increasingly been taking over public services, like emergency care and firefighting, often with dire effects.

Questions:
1. What are the factors that private equity firms apply to public services that put these arrangements into jeopardy?
2. About how many Americans work for companies owned by private equity-backed businesses?
3. Explain some of the disadvantages and dire effects caused by private equity firms that took over ambulance services.
4. Explain some of the failures associated with the firm TransCare ambulance service and then its supposed rescue by Patriarch.
5. In your opinion, what was the most troubling issue pointed out in this article?

Source:
Ivory, D., B. Protess, and K. Bennett (2016). When you dial 911 and Wall Street Answers, The New York Times, June 25 (Retrievable online at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/26/business/dealbook/when-you-dial-911-and-wall-street-answers.html)