A McKinney family is asking what took so long?

They spent 20 minutes waiting for a paramedic to arrive.

Officials know what's behind that critical delay and others like it - they just can't do anything about it.

A scare last week has the Simpsons grateful for every moment together.

While eating at a McKinney restaurant, Gary Simpson became ill and passed out.

Friends called 911 but it took nearly 20 minutes for paramedics to arrive.

"We kept waiting and waiting... when you're waiting for EMS, even five minutes seems like forever," said Gary Simpson's wife, Sue.

Longer waits for help are becoming a major concern in McKinney.

As the population booms, the city hasn't yet caught up.

Response times to its outlying areas, like the 2,500-acre Craig Ranch development, often take 8-10 minutes, longer than the city-wide average of about 6 minutes.

"We can only handle a limited number of emergencies in any one time," said Assistant Chief, Frank Roma, from McKinney Fire Department.

Officials say Simpson's illness came while crews were stretched thin - out on multiple calls across the city.

Firefighters say there simply wasn't anyone available close by.

"The incident that happened here occurred when all of our resources were drained, and we had only a few resources left in town to cover an area that normally would have had covered in place," Roma said.

McKinney has six fire stations but consultants recommend the city build four more immediately.

One is under construction.

There's another planned near Craig Ranch but the money isn't there.

For the Simpsons, Gary turned out to have heat exhaustion but they worry what if it had been something worse.

"It's scary because you just assume they're going to be there for you, and they weren't," Gary Simpson said.

E-mail jbetz@wfaa.com.