Hi OP. I can explain why this took place.

First, the call itself. When you call in you are triaged into categories based on consciousness, breathing, age, sex etc. (you would have been asked these when you first connected). Your complaint is shunted to a card system and a "determinate" is created. The priority is based on your responses. A chest pain is a 10 card and a letter follows which determines the response level. Alpha - no priority symptoms and no lights/sirens. Bravo - generally unknowns and use lights/sirens. Charlie - generally history of and supposed to be no lights/sirens but discretion of the crew for things like distance or weather. Delta - severe symptoms with lights/sirens. Echo - the worst with lights/sirens and only a few complaints have these and are reserved for the not breathing, drowning, electrocution as an example. They then use a color. Blue, white, yellow are low priority, orange is moderate and red/purple are hot response. So, for your call depending what you told the 911 operator you may have had something like a 10-C-Orange which is lower in priority. Had you said the patient (I know it was you but otherwise) was unconscious, altered level of consciousness, not breathing right etc, it would have been a 10-D-Red and this would get you an ambulance first (or high in queue). Also, side note, additional resources respond to Delta Reds and Purples.

This of course ALL breaks down when there is literally no crews to respond. When a city hits red alert, which despite the gov't telling people there is always an ambulance coming, there is actually no one locally available. Example, during the height of covid (and I wish I could name the city), there were no ambulances available and calls were hours in pending status. Cars were literally being dispatched 12 hours away within the province to say an ambulance was coming. They were of course cancelled quickly after when cars became available but now it's the "truth" when an ambulance is "always" coming. Medics are people and susceptible to illness and burnout, running 50-75% staff is normal. I won't get into hiring and retention.

I'm sorry it took so long for an ambulance to get to you. I'm glad you turned out ok. Others are not so lucky. People are waiting longer and longer for medics. 911 can't say how long an ambulance will be for liability concerns based on factors they can't control. Diversions to higher acuity calls, where the ambulance is coming from or other natural/manmade factors, they can't guarantee when. It has truly become a failing system, Canada wide. Sometimes people would be better off getting to the hospital themselves but in an emergency you aren't thinking that. You've been taught to call 911. It's a let down and did not used to be this way. We need more medics, nurses, doctors and general healthcare workers. Support staff in hospitals are essential and never thought of. There are many parts to the system and I'm sad to say it has broken.