Unfortunately it is just not viable to give users access to these types of permissions. Having staff as a prerequisite which comes with certain obligations helps to mitigate the possibility of abuse.
If you're someone who plays the server a lot and wants to become a GM, staffing alongside that really isn't as much work as you may expect. We easily have the most relaxed environment to staff in, with only a 20 ticket a week minimum. Application standards are not that high either.