They are the people we count on every day, especially if we are hurt or in danger.

But sometimes emergency crews can fall into danger themselves.

Around 1:30 Tuesday morning, a South Bend EMS and fire crew had to call for police back-up after responding to a call on Laurel Court.

EMS workers were able to get their patient out of the situation, but they took off quickly, feeling intimidated by a large group of people who gathered in the area.

They were responding to a woman's call for help.

She had suffered some bad cuts after slipping and falling on glass.

Police say they arrived shortly after the ambulance took off, but by then any signs of a ruckus or danger had passed.

South Bend Fire officials tell us EMS and firefighters were never threatened directly, but they felt like a fight was brewing between 20 or 30 people who had gathered. At that point, crews became concerned for their safety.

NewsCenter 16 obtained tapes from dispatch, where you can hear the urgency in the voices of EMS workers and firefighters calling from the scene.

EMS to 911: "South Bend Medic 4-- we need 10-35 (police) here right now! Help us!"

911: "10-4, they're been dispatched."

911: "There's yelling in the background, medics sound panicked. 1047 Laurel Court."

EMS/FIRE: "South Bend to Engine 1, we are in trouble here!"

911: "10-35 (police) is en route, they've been dispatched."

This incident is a reminder of the dangers that rescue teams face on a regular basis.

In fact, just yesterday, a St. Louis area firefighter was shot to death while putting out a truck fire.

Local medical crews and firefighters are trained to evacuate scenes that they deem dangerous.

"The captain that was on the scene -- in this instance from Engine 1 -- he determined that it was a dangerous scene and they backed off the scene," explains Steve Cox, Assistance Chief for South Bend Fire EMS. "Our personnel managed to get the patient into the ambulance and they were able to get away from the scene without any of our personnel being injured."