Why do you send a fire engine when I called for an ambulance?

A fire engine is dispatched with an ambulance on those emergency medical calls that are manpower intensive. Examples include a heart attack, stroke, diabetic emergency, childbirth, gunshot or stab wound, breathing difficulty and automobile accidents. The ambulance has two EMTs assigned to it. Often on the serious medical calls they need assistance getting the patient out of a bedroom, down from a second or third story building, or because of a patient's size. The fire engine typically responds with three Firefighters/EMTs to help with those tasks. In addition, if the patient is in cardiac arrest one of those firefighters assists with CPR and other advanced life support measures enroute to the hospital. The fire engine is almost always available to handle any additional calls as soon as they have helped the ambulance. In the case of an automobile accident, often times engine and radiator fluids are spilled on the ground, at times vehicle fires occur, and most importantly the engine carries the "jaws of life" for use in extricating trapped patients.