ACR X INCURRED ATC DELAY FOR EMER LNDG.

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BNA ATC LEAVES A LOT TO BE DESIRED. WE LEFT THE GATE LATE BECAUSE OF CONNECTING PAXS AND BAGS. THEREFORE; THE PUSH WAS ALREADY GONE. APCHING THE RWY; WE INDICATED WE NEEDED APPROX 20 SECONDS BEFORE TKOF ROLL. IN POS; ACR X WAS TOLD TO 'HOLD SHORT.' ABOUT 2 MINS LATER; EMER EQUIP APPEARED AT MIDFIELD. WHEN WE ASKED WHAT WAS HAPPENING; NO RESPONSE. OTHER ACFT WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AT OTHER RWYS BY THE SAME CTLR; BUT WE CONTINUED TO HOLD SHORT WITH NO EXPLANATION. IT WAS BASICALLY NOT A BUSY PERIOD FOR AIR TFC. EVENTUALLY; AFTER APPROX 6 MINS; AN ACFT APPEARED; APCHED; AND LANDED ON THE RWY WE HELD SHORT OF. IT TAXIED CLR. THE EMER EQUIP BEGAN TO RETURN TO THE GARAGE; WHICH BY THE WAY HAS A DIRECT RTE THAT DOES NOT CROSS OUR RWY. I ASKED THE CTLR HOW LONG BEFORE WE COULD DEPART; THE RESPONSE WAS NOT UNTIL THE EMER WAS OVER. I AGAIN ASKED FOR A TIME. FOR THIS; THE RESPONSE SEEMED A PENALIZATION '10 MINS OR MAYBE LESS. NO TIME ON EMERS.' I EXPLAINED THAT I NEED TO KNOW WOULD I HAVE TO RETURN TO THE GATE FOR ADDITIONAL FUEL. FACT IS; WE COULD HAVE DEPARTED AND BEEN OUT OF THE WAY; LONG BEFORE THE ARR OF THE EMER. WE WERE PUT ON 'FREEZE.' YES I AM NOW QUESTIONING BNA ATC JUDGEMENT. A THING THAT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.