The first call was for a pregnancy. Many that followed ranged from overdoses to injuries. D.C. Fire and EMS has made emergency medical care a central part of the job, with firefighters trained to provide medical assistance in addition to fighting fires.

In many instances, firefighters are first on the scene, assessing and stabilizing patients until an ambulance arrives to transport them to the hospital.

In many instances, the firefighters are first on the scene and will assess the patient and stabilize if necessary until the ambulance arrives to transport the patient to the hospital. To improve continuity of care, firefighters use a tablet system to record vital signs, identification, assessments, and interventions in a digital report. That information can then be transferred to the ambulance crew and ultimately to the hospital, helping reduce miscommunication as a patient moves through the emergency-care system.

One particularly sought-after position is Technician—the driver. Just about everyone wants to drive the truck, and when a position opens there can be plenty of competition for the billet.

The nights are long during 24-hour shifts. Staying busy can make the time pass quickly, but maintaining that pace for so many hours is exhausting—particularly for those assigned to an ambulance.

Paramedics like Larry Lantz had the grueling job of answering medical calls throughout the day, often remaining with patients for extended periods while treating or transporting them. Meals were frequently interrupted, and compared with the engines and trucks, they spent relatively little time at the station.

At the time I photographed him, Lantz had worked with D.C. Fire and EMS for 40 years after previously serving as a gunner in the Vietnam War. He had no shortage of stories—and remarkable energy for someone who had spent so long doing such demanding work.

There was an immense sense of pride in what he did. As more firefighters became cross-trained as EMTs, dedicated paramedics like him had become increasingly uncommon.

One of the things that stood out most was the camaraderie. Few moments showed it better than mealtime. Everyone pitched in for food, helped prepare the meal, and sat down together as a single unit.

But plates were often abandoned half-eaten. Emergency calls aren't scheduled for convenient moments, and sometimes the call was the one nearly every firefighter was waiting for: a fire.

But many times plates are left uneaten or half-empty, as the call to action is neither scheduled nor convenient. And sometimes that call is the one which nearly every firefighter is waiting for: the call for fire.

With the fire out and midnight approaching, I gathered my gear and said goodbye to Engine 30. I was exhausted and already thinking about bed when I received a text from one of the firefighters: a major fire was being fought just a few blocks from my home.

A one-story building had caught fire, and over the next two hours crews from multiple companies worked to bring it under control. Watching them made it clear that the tight-knit team I had spent the day with was part of a much larger community. Everyone seemed to know everyone. Once the fire was under control, firefighters and technicians from different companies sought one another out.

In the rain and smoke of the late night, dozens of people worked together without confusion, hesitation, or conflict. That kind of coordination is difficult with a handful of people, let alone an entire emergency scene.

Being a firefighter is demanding in ways that extend far beyond fighting fires. At D.C. Fire and EMS, the job requires the courage to move toward danger, the skill to provide medical care when someone needs it most, and a level of teamwork that, after spending a day alongside them, felt less like teamwork than family.