Why does a fire engine respond with an ambulance to a medical call?

In a medical emergency, time is of the essence. Each fire engine has all of the capabilities of an ambulance with the single exception of patient transport to the hospital. In most cases, an engine will arrive on scene prior to the ambulance. Life saving medical assistance can begin immediately in preparation for the arrival of the ambulance and subsequent transport to the hospital. In addition, during complicated medical emergencies, the paramedic from the fire engine will assist the ambulance crew during transport, increasing patient care while en route to the medical facility.

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1. Can I burn yard waste within the city limits?
2. Can I have a fire pit in my yard?
3. My cat is up a tree. Can you come get it down?
4. Where do I place smoke detectors in my home?
5. What are my responsibilities if I live on a fire access road?
6. What do firefighters do when they are not responding to emergency calls?
7. What is the city's ISO rating for fire protection?
8. What is a firefighter's work schedule like?
9. When I’m driving down the road and hear/see an emergency vehicle with its lights and sirens on, what is the best thing to do?
10. Where can I go to have my fire extinguisher serviced?
11. Who do I contact to donate a house for fire training?
12. Why do I see fire engines parked at the grocery store?
13. Why do I see firefighters running at the track/exercising in some other way while on-duty?
14. Why does a fire engine respond with an ambulance to a medical call?