Reedy Creek Fire & Rescue Staff Shortage Impacts Horizon West OCFR Coverage

The Reedy Creek Firefighters Association is claiming that firefighters and emergency response personal are understaffed at Reed Creek, posing hazards the safety of guests and employees at Walt Disney World. The Reedy Creek Improvement District is the governing jurisdiction for Walt Disney World that provides many civil services for the property. According to the Orlando Sentinel, and publicly posted by Bakersfield.com, the extent of the short staffing levels were outlined and overall staff levels have actually been reduced, as firefighter staffing has not increased since 1989, even with the opening of Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach.

Unfortunately, the lack of firefighters is now directly impacting fire rescue services in Horizon West and Orange County, as Reedy Creek is increasing the number of calls made to Orange County Fire Rescue for assistance.

Horizon West, one of the fastest growing communities in Florida, directly borders Walt Disney World to the north and west. Horizon West is governed and receives services from Orange County. However, as residential population is Horizon West rapidly grows, the area has suffered from over-crowded schools, inadequate roads, and lack of local fire departments.

To determine the impact to Horizon West, our team requested information directly from the Orange Country Fire Rescue on the extent of calls being made to assist Reedy Creek between September and November, 2021.

• Station 36 – 12252 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
  • Rescue 36: 13 assists
  • Engine 36: 6 assists
• Station 35 – 7435 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
  • Rescue 35: 4 assists
• Station 32 -14932 East Orange Lake BV
  • Rescue 32: 3 assists
  • Engine 32: 5 assists
• Station 44 – 16990 Porter Road
  • Rescue 44: 1 assist

Additional calls for assistance were made to Station 54 and Station 56, but these stations are outsize the area to serve Horizon West in normal circumstances.

We also inquired with Orange County on any delays in service that resulted in a unit assisting Reedy Creek. This level of detail is not something that is tracked and it’s unknown if a call made to OCFR from a local resident resulted in a unit being dispatched from a station further away, resulting in a longer response time.

With the rapid growth in Horizon West, Orange County is already underway adding addition Fire Stations to the area. The new county budget includes 3 Fire Stations for Horizon West. Two of the locations will be completely new fire stations, while Station 44 will transition from a temporary location to a permanent location.