Yesterday, while I was walking near Lincoln skytrain station at Coquitlam center, I saw a man whose foot was bleeding really bad. He was sitting on the floor near a bus stop and there had already accumulated a concerning pile of blood. I don't see how he can casually drag his bleeding foot on the bus. So, I asked him if he needed me to call him an ambulance. He nodded, so I called.

I provided some basic info to the dispatcher about the location and the situation. The dispatcher told me to stay with him and wait for the ambulance. So, we waited and waited. 10 min passed...20 min passed... At around 30 min mark, there was still no sign of the ambulance. The man got up, told me the bleeding had stopped and he felt fine, that he'd just take the bus and clean up at home. I saw the bleeding on his foot had indeed stopped and the man was responsive and alert. So, I called 911 again to call off the ambulance. The dispatcher responded:" ok, I'll let them know. bye." then hang up.

It was my first time calling for an ambulance and the whole experience is bizarre. I'm glad the man wasn't hurt that bad because can you imagine if this were a real medical emergency and his life were dependent on it? I'm absolutely speechless. Does ambulances usually take this long? Should I just drive to the hospital when I need an ambulance?

Edit: spelling and grammar (I promise I have proofread before posting. Why can I always find errors AFTER I posted it?)

Edit2: After reading the comments, I realized the ambulance came slow because the incident was not an emergency. And it'd show up quicker if it were. (It sounds so obvious that they'd attend the emergency first that now I feel stupid /facepalm)

Update: There are contradicting experiences shared under this post. One says the ambulance showed up after 5 min, the other says 15 min. However, another says he waited for over an hours for an medical emergency (severe pain and fractured bones involved).

Takeaway: Through this experience, I learnt and advise everyone that we should take some basic first aid courses. Under non-emergent situation, yourself, or passengers with first-aid knowledge are more reliable than the ambulance. Also, if you can drive to the hospital yourself, or someone can drive you there, then drive (given that the injury isn't life-threatening). Basically, call 911 only when someone is dying or unconscious.

Edit 5: I upvoted everyone. Thanks people for you active input. Also, if you have a car, make sure you carry first-aid kit.