Many churches can anticipate professional response from a 911 call in about 10-25 minutes for serious emergencies. This assumes that the responders are not already busy on another call, or there is not a traffic delay, or poor communication about the location, or weather issues. Such delays may require an hour or more before professionals can arrive. These concerns are common ones regardless of the diligence of the professionals involved.
Seconds matter. Most violence is over in under 2-5 minutes[1]. Most heart attacks need attention within two minutes. Most choking needs attention in under 15 seconds. Without immediate attention, many people may die who could live if only an adequate response happened in the first minutes. What an opportunity to show Christ’s love! What a tragedy if 911 is called, and the waiting time prevents saving lives.
For lesser emergencies, the professionals may never show up if there is bad weather or they are busy.
We cannot “do over” an emergency response. Time is precious in emergencies, and seconds count. Someone with the right basic knowledge and skills may save lives in an emergency until a professional can respond. Public pools have lifeguards, and schools often have nurses and Security on duty during active hours for these reasons.
[1] U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013, September 16, 2013.