Why do an ambulance AND a fire engine respond to a medical emergency?

A. There are a couple of reasons why we respond both units. First, we always want to get medically-trained fire personnel to an emergency as quickly as possible. Sometimes, an engine staffed with EMTs (and maybe a paramedic) may be closer to the emergency than an ambulance. The engine crew can begin life-saving treatment before the ambulance arrives. Second, many types of medical emergencies require the skills of several rescuers at the same time. An ambulance typically has two personnel aboard and an engine usually has three. A critical medical call, such as a heart attack, dictates that many complex tasks be accomplished very quickly. For us to provide the best possible service we want to make sure that we have the right number of people present at the emergency.  more