Delayed response times are one of the biggest concerns for fire departments, home to not only fire engines but also ambulances. They're so crucial, at times, it could mean the difference between life and death. So you can imagine the alarm when it took crews three times longer than average to arrive at a call on Madison's southeast side. "A mother talking about her teenage son convulsing and waiting 18 minutes for someone to get there," said Alder Denise DeMarb as she remembered one story a constituent told her. DeMarb represents Madison's 16th district, and has lived there for 19 years. But that story is one of several in the area.