Just days after a high-profile response to what Disney says was a “small fire” at Magic Kingdom, the Reedy Creek Firefighters Association is once again raising concerns about staffing levels.
A report from the Orlando Sentinel details concerns from union leadership about staffing levels at Walt Disney World. According to the report, there has not been a staffing increase since 1989 despite major expansions to the coverage that is expected from first responders. Most notably, Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, and the Disney Skyliner have added to the workload of the Reedy Creek Fire Department.
Additionally, the union alleges that the department is still operating on a reduced temporary staffing agreement leftover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to union members, the RCFD is woefully understaffed for a worst-case scenario. According to the report, firefighters refuse to ride the Disney Skyliner gondola system because of the lack of staffing for an emergency response and evacuation. Just days after the Skyliner system opened in 2019, a partial evacuation took hours and 911 calls revealed an 11-year-old girl begging for help as she and her epileptic mom remained stranded.
The report details an incident from this past Sunday where a woman passed away at Bay Lake Tower from a heart attack. Smaller staffing meant that while the Magic Kingdom area coverage used to include two rescues assigned, only one was assigned on Sunday, and it was on another call at the time of the incident. Reedy Creek spokeswoman Eryka Washington said that the response time was normal. The union points to the incident as an example of their worst fear: understaffing can be fatal for Disney World guests.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!