CareLine Inc.

The Irvine-based ambulance services company had a first-quarter profit of $865,000, or 6 cents per share, on revenue of $19.86 million. This was up from net income of $173,000, or 2 cents per share, on revenue of $4.33 million the year before.

The increase is largely attributable to the nine acquisitions the company completed before the end of March.

CareLine, which went public in December, recently announced plans to acquire several competitors--two in Philadelphia and one in Texas--in deals that would make it the nation’s second largest emergency medical services provider, transporting more than 750,000 patients annually and employing more than 3,000 workers.