The stark reality of frontline ambulance work is being exposed in a new exhibition in Wellington which opens today.
It's part of a landmark year for the city's Free Ambulance Service, which is celebrating 90 years in service, but its future is far from certain.
Photographer Adrian Heke has spent the last 18 months on the road with the crews, capturing the intense drama and despair that occur in a day's work as a clinical paramedic.
"When you work with the paramedics it's a really you get a good cross section of the environment or of the community that we live in and you touch base on beautiful tender moments," Mr Heke said.
"You touch base on beautiful tender moments. You also touch on tragedy… you shrug your shoulders and go 'really? Community get yourself together'."
The unique Free Ambulance Service was created in 1927 when mayor Sir Charles Norwood came across an injured man on Lambton Quay and there was no ambulance available.
Now there are more than 100,000 calls for help each year, costing $420 every time the ambulance is sent out.
Mike Grant from the free ambulance service says they'd always like the government to "stump up a bit more" in funding despite 75 per cent to 78 per cent coming from central government.
The rest of the funding is made up by contributions from the local community.
The service remains free for those living in Wellington and Wairarapa, unlike those who are in other parts of the country.
In May, the then National Government gave ambulance services nationwide a funding boost, but St John's also needs donations too, to cover 25 per cent of its costs.
The Wellington free ambulance would also like to see its model rolled out elsewhere, but at this stage it doesn’t seem to be a priority for the new Labour-led Government.
One One One - A photographic journey with Wellington Free Ambulance by Adrian Heke runs from 3-12 November at the St James Theatre.
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