Why does it take so long for someone to arrive after I dial 911?

The Westhampton Fire Department is an all volunteer Department and the Station is unmanned. Every member of the Department is issued protective equipment and a pager. Anytime an emergency response is needed from the fire department, the Dispatch Center pages all members of the Department to respond. Any member who may be available to respond, stops whatever they are doing, responds to the station to get the vehicles and equipment and then drives to the scene. The National Standard for an emergency response times with a community and Department with our demographics is fourteen minutes from the time the crews are alerted to their arrival on the scene.