When I first started watching American TV shows in my teens, one of the things that deeply struck me was how efficient the emergency response and police respons

When I first started watching American TV shows in my teens, one of the things that deeply struck me was how efficient the emergency response and police response seemed in America. Ofcourse, I was naive, and didn't realise till later that the US police don't have 10 minutes response time to a 911 call or that the emergency services are not free. That ambulances charge 1000's of dollars took away a lot of sheen of America, in my perception - hell, if we have to pay, I too could get similar VIP service in India for half that amount.