No problem when there's a problem

Do people in other major cities have trouble when they call 911? I've seen in movies, I've read horror stories. Someone calls 911. They get put on hold. The ambulance/fire truck/police car takes forever to arrive and it's too late.

Are these occurrences common? Because every time I've had to call 911 I've never had a problem. The phone doesn't even ring, they just pick up. I have *never* been put on hold. I've never called 911 for the police so I can't speak to that, but the fire department has always arrived in mere minutes. They always show up way sooner than I have anticipated. They have always been courteous. They've always done a good job.

I hope that is the norm.