The firefighters who protect Disney World property are raising new safety concerns after Saturday night’s emergency evacuation of the Skyliner.Union leaders at Reedy Creek Fire and Rescue are most concerned about staffing.They say Disney keeps growing and creating new attractions that pose new challenges to public safety and what happened Saturday night proves it. The Disney Skyliner had been open six days when emergency calls went out at 8:30 p.m.Viewers began sending WESH 2 News videos and photos, including one that showed three gondolas had collided.The three-hour operation that followed resulted in the evacuation of six people from one vehicle before Disney could restart the system. “We’ve gotten lucky! And we need to stop pushing our luck,” Sean Pierce said.Pierce is with Reedy Creek Fire and Rescue’s union.According to Pierce, efforts to persuade the administration to hire more firefighters have failed. Roughly 30 of the 32 firefighters on shift Saturday night were called to the evacuation. “If this had been between noon and 4 p.m. and you had 100 cars with anywhere from four to 10 people on each car and you have to extricate those people off of those vehicles, it’s going to take a long time and 32 people aren’t going to get it done,” Pierce said.Less than three weeks before the gondola system shut down, Disney had another emergency to evacuate another elevated transportation system: the monorail.On Sept. 20, 76 people were evacuated from the monorail, three of whom were treated, and one was taken to a local hospital.Reedy Creek Administrator John Classe said the union is using safety concerns as a bargaining chip for a new contract. Classe also points to a new tower truck that’s ready for elevated rescues, but was not needed Saturday night.The union admits Orange and Osceola county fire and rescue were called as backups for the Skyliner evacuation, but were not needed. A WESH 2 Investigates review of Reedy Creek’s new fire budget shows more than $ 33 million for fire department labor next year is up less than half a percent. Capital is up 19 percent, so that may include more equipment.The total fire budget will rise 2.6 percent.The union said it is willing to accept a contract with no pay raise as long as new positions are part of the deal.

The firefighters who protect Disney World property are raising new safety concerns after Saturday night’s emergency evacuation of the Skyliner.

Union leaders at Reedy Creek Fire and Rescue are most concerned about staffing.

They say Disney keeps growing and creating new attractions that pose new challenges to public safety and what happened Saturday night proves it.

The Disney Skyliner had been open six days when emergency calls went out at 8:30 p.m.

Viewers began sending WESH 2 News videos and photos, including one that showed three gondolas had collided.

The three-hour operation that followed resulted in the evacuation of six people from one vehicle before Disney could restart the system.

“We’ve gotten lucky! And we need to stop pushing our luck,” Sean Pierce said.

Pierce is with Reedy Creek Fire and Rescue’s union.

According to Pierce, efforts to persuade the administration to hire more firefighters have failed.

Roughly 30 of the 32 firefighters on shift Saturday night were called to the evacuation.

“If this had been between noon and 4 p.m. and you had 100 cars with anywhere from four to 10 people on each car and you have to extricate those people off of those vehicles, it’s going to take a long time and 32 people aren’t going to get it done,” Pierce said.

Less than three weeks before the gondola system shut down, Disney had another emergency to evacuate another elevated transportation system: the monorail.

On Sept. 20, 76 people were evacuated from the monorail, three of whom were treated, and one was taken to a local hospital.

Reedy Creek Administrator John Classe said the union is using safety concerns as a bargaining chip for a new contract.

Classe also points to a new tower truck that’s ready for elevated rescues, but was not needed Saturday night.

The union admits Orange and Osceola county fire and rescue were called as backups for the Skyliner evacuation, but were not needed.

A WESH 2 Investigates review of Reedy Creek’s new fire budget shows more than $ 33 million for fire department labor next year is up less than half a percent.

Capital is up 19 percent, so that may include more equipment.

The total fire budget will rise 2.6 percent.

The union said it is willing to accept a contract with no pay raise as long as new positions are part of the deal.



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