More Firefighters Needed At Walt Disney World?
Several media outlets, including the AP recently ran stories about the call for more firefighters at Disney world.
The AP’s Mike Schneider reported:


Photo: John Raoux, AP
Firefighters for Walt Disney World’s private government say they’re understaffed and that poses a safety risk… “We just don’t have enough firefighters on property to make these families and visitors safe,” said Timothy Stromsnes, president of the Reedy Creek Professional Firefighters.
The administrator for that local government, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, disagrees… “Safety is of utmost importance, which is why we are always focused on the district being a safe place and are confident we provide appropriate levels of fire and medical services,” said Reedy Creek Improvement District’s John Classe.
Disney World Responded


reedycreek.org
Schneider added:
Disney World spokeswoman Andrea Finger said the safety of guests and employees is a core focus of the resort.
“The safety of our guests and cast is, and always will be, our core focus in operating our parks and resorts…” Andrea FInger, Walt Disney World
At any given moment, 32 Reedy Creek firefighters are working a 24-hour shift on the 25,000-acre (10,117-hectare) Disney World property… By next year, Disney World is forecast to have as many as 143,000 guests each night at its more than two dozen hotels and up to 153,000 daily visitors at its four theme parks and two water parks. Add a workforce of more than 70,000 employees, and the resort, which is the geographic size of the city of San Francisco, could host anywhere from 215,000 to almost 360,000 people on any given day, according to planning documents from the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
That’s roughly on par with the residential population of Pittsburgh, St. Louis or Cincinnati. But the Reedy Creek firefighters face challenges different from fire departments in those cities. While they help patrons with heat-related illnesses, rescue passengers from car accidents and respond to hotel fire alarms, they also help put out the periodic dragon fire, and they are summoned when the occasional vacation turns tragic.
Negotiating Through The Media?
Reedy Creek Improvement District administrator John Classe told the Orlando Sentinel’s Gabrielle Russon he was confident Reedy Creek provides “appropriate levels of fire and medical services,” in an email:
He accused the union leader of “trying to negotiate its current collective bargaining agreement in the media…”


Gondolas present new challenges.
However Stromsnes added more concerns to the Sentinel:
Stromsnes spoke to the Sentinel in an interview recently to express a specific concern that Reedy Creek has added more equipment — but not more manpower — for when the 300 gondola cabins start running to Hollywood Studios and Epcot from several resorts this fall… Reedy Creek has spent $1.4 million on equipment and a truck that can go up to 116 feet and another truck for about $840,000 that can reach 173 feet, Classe said.
Ongoing Debate
As readers may surmise from the 2018 video above, the issue stands to be one that is ongoing.
WDW continues to expand. So, local municipalities, as well as the park itself, will consistently be in a mode of evaluation.


Photo Credit: Facebook – Reedy Creek Fire and Rescue Department Emergency Medical Services
At the moment, however; the firefighters are insisting they need more help.
“We have the equipment,” said Stromsnes to the Sentinel. “We just don’t have the people.”
What do you think? Are you safe at Walt Disney World? Tell us in the comments.