Indeed, legally, private individuals and companies are allowed to act in emergencies. For example, I generally should not break into my neighbor’s home. However, I am legally allowed (and morally obligated) to forcibly enter their residence if their house is on fire, or they’re being attacked by a burglar, etc. and I am able to prevent some of the harm.
Of course, if we assume we’re talking about situations where the government needs a warrant, the legality becomes more complicated. At what point does something become an emergency? I would say it’s not an emergency if there is time to inform the government and to let the government prevent the injury. If we assume the government is unwilling or unable to act, then the window for action should expand by some measure.
Private companies having arrest rights is just a nonstarter of an idea (putting it kindly).
I’m not suggesting that private individuals authority to should be expanded to allow for arrests, after reading many statutes and caselaw, it appears that there are many circumstances were private companies already do have that power, even if they do not exercise it very frequently.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen%27s_arrest#United_Stat...