This 'inability to fund' police and EMS aircraft still affects the 'rich' Western World despite the availability of significant government funding.
That earlier listing of the largely grounded Honduran air fleet by Furia raises the similar inabilities of most nations to fly what they have. You only need to peep inside the hangars of even the average Western air force to realise that even they run a significant 'Christmas Tree' fleet so what chance does a tiny island nation stand?
More on subject we are used to the large fleets of the police fire and ambulance in the major US Cities but just what is their actual level of readiness across the well funded fleet?
Contrast that with smaller forces in the supposed rich heartland of the US and you will run into a dozen mixed type aircraft fleet largely grounded long term by a lack of engineering expertise, finance and pilots. Dozens of US Cities are flying barely 50 hours a year on their 'free' DoD surplus OH58s, or making do with a borrowed Cessna flown by a handy Deputy with a PPL for just the same reasons as those in St Maarten. Dare I say that some break as many rules of the air as appears to be the case with the St Maarten R44 operation.