11 minutes: That's how long it takes Kissimmee firefighters to respond to emergencies - and they're concerned
Concerns as Kissimmee response times slow
Kissimmee firefighters said the city's growth is causing delays in how long it takes them to response to emergencies. Firefighters say they need more help and support -- and need the community's support during budget negotiations. They're asking for an increase in pay and more staff.
Kissimmee - Firefighters and those who live in Kissimmee are worried about how long it takes firefighters to respond to emergency situations, such as a house fire. Their response time used to be an average of four minutes. Today? 11 minutes, according to union officials.
The Kissimmee Union Firefighters said in a social media post that as the city grows and more people move there, they need more firefighters to respond to these emergency calls. They're also asking for the community's support as budget negotiations begin. Firefighters are also for better pay.
"The whole house was burnt. Terrible."
Nilo Vega and Edwin Cruz said they called 911 last year when one of their neighbor's homes as on fire. It took a while for the firetrucks to arrive so they said they took matters into their own hands, grabbing a hose and spraying wherever they could.
Vega said his neighbor died inside the house.
"Tried to go inside, rescue the old man. We tried to help, but we could do nothing," he said.
Firefighters said it took about nine minutes for them to respond to the house. However, Vega and Cruz said it felt like 20 to 30 minutes.
"I said wow take a long time," said Cruz.
"I don’t know why they’re taking so long," said Vega.
The City of Kissimmee and the firefighters union both declined interviews with FOX 35 Friday because the negotiations were ongoing.
However, in a statement, a city spokesperson said, "While we can't go into specifics, in general, we can assure you that public safety is a top priority for the City of Kissimmee."
Records show that firefighters responded to 14,500 calls last year. There are around 100 firefighters on staff.