The fire service is getting slower at answering emergency calls, says the central statistics agency CBS on Wednesday.

In 2006 it took the fire service 8 minutes or more to reach a fire in 70% of emergencies. In 2000 it was 46%.
The delay is largely caused by longer turn out times, says the CBS. In 2000 fire engines were on the street within four minutes. By 2006 this had increased to nearly eight minutes.
The fire service is quicker in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht with 10 minutes between reporting a fire and the arrival of the fire engine. In smaller towns this takes 13 minutes, says the CBS.