LAFD paramedics say response times are lagging with fatal consequences as dept. chief admits urgent need to “do better" on 911 calls.

"The truth is you don't have the ambulance service, the EMS service that you think you have. Ambulances are coming from greater and greater distances. It's taking longer and longer to get to your emergency," says one LAFD paramedic. "The longer it takes, the less your chance of a good outcome."

Our average response time should be anywhere for three to four minutes; 10 minutes, you're lucky. Fifteen is common, and 20 is going to be the norm." The LAFD serves the second-largest city in the nation with nearly 4 million people, not including the large number of tourists.

Every year, around 240 million people call 911. That’s a lot of calls. But when you’re in the middle of an emergency, it’s difficult to wait.

Here are ten major US cities and their average response time, ranked best to worst:

1. Chicago: 3.46 minutes
2. Los Angeles: 5.7 minutes
3. Seattle: 7 minutes
4. Dallas: 8 minutes
5. Miami: 8 minutes
6. New York City: 9.1 minutes
7. Atlanta: 9.5 minutes
8. Houston: 10 minutes
9. Detroit: 12 minutes
10. Denver: 13 minutes

The average response time for a 911 call is typically 5-6 minutes for level one emergencies, however it can take longer depending on the situation.

For the period 2017–2021, active shooter incident data reveals an upward trend: the number of active shooter incidents identified in 2021 represents a 52.5% increase from 2020 and a 96.8% increase from 2017. From 2017 to 2022 the annual amount of active shooter incidents is as follows:

• 2017: 31
• 2018: 30
• 2019: 30
• 2020: 40
• 2021: 61
• 2022: 50

Source: FBI: Active Shooter Incidents in the United States

In 2021, there were 61 active shooter incidents across 30 states. California had the most mass shootings in 2021 with six total incidents. Georgia and Texas had the second most mass shootings in 2021 with five incidents each. Colorado and Florida tied for 3rd with a total of four mass shootings in 2021.

Source: FBI: Active Shooter Incidents in the United States