So there's been a major fire, car crash, robbery, heart attack, or other catastrophe. Isn't it amazing how the police, firefighters, or EMTs show up really quickly, often in a matter of seconds? Sometimes, you don't even have to call 911! If only it worked like that in Real Life. It usually takes around 10 minutes for the emergency responders to arrive, and even then, it often takes a while before they can actually do anything. For example, when firefighters arrive at a fire, it usually takes around 5 minutes from the time of arrival before they can actually start spraying water on the fire.