Do you remember that four alarm story that we ran on this website back on Monday? The one that talked about how -- now that Disney World's theme parks are changing their "Central Base" set-ups -- guests' safety may be compromised?
Well, maybe we'd better rethink those four alarms. Perhaps ratchet this story down to just a two alarmer. Or maybe even just a one alarmer.
Mind you, there are still quite a few WDW cast members who truly are spooked at the very idea that Epcot and Animal Kingdom will no longer have their own "Central Base." That all of the functions that those theme parks' call centers used to handle will now be covered by the Magic Kingdom's "Central Base" as well as Disney/MGM's "Central Base," respectively.
But folks who are more in the know about how the "Central Bases" at the various Disney theme parks actually operate have been sending me e-mail, insisting that it's just silly to panic over this issue. If anything, what with the technological upgrades that are supposed to come online as part of the coming consolidation, some people are now saying that the Disney theme parks could end up with better emergency response time. Not worse.
Look. Maybe it would help us all understand this somewhat confusing situation better if we had a bit more information about how Disney World's "Central Bases" actually operate. Why don't we let Buffalo Bill, a WDW vet, fill us on what's really goes on with these behind-the-scenes operational bases:
"Central Base" is the behind-the-scenes comm center that WDW cast members typically use when they're trying to get ahold of another cast member who's working in the park that day. Particularly if they're unfamiliar with the other employee's extension. Usually what happens when "Central Base" gets a message that they need to pass along, they pick up a radio and -- using several frequencies that Disney has set aside -- contact the cast member in question. The CB staff can then pass along the message directly and/or tell the cast member to contact their friend using a hardline. So what "Central Base" really does for Disney's theme park employees is play switchboard. Were you to listen on a typical afternoon of backstage radio chatter at the parks, you'd hear exchanges like: EPCOT CENTRAL BASE : Epcot Central Base.CAST MEMBER: Please have Epcot 42 contact extension 7555.EPCOT CENTRAL BASE: Central base to Epcot 42.EPCOT 42: Epcot 42, by.EPCOT CENTRAL BASE: Please contact ext. 7555. Typically, the chatter that you'd hear would be fairly hum-drum. Attraction downtimes, "Manager, please contact extension ..." requests, custodial dispatches as well as the occasional medical request. Speaking of medical stuff: Typically, if there's a medical emergency in one of the theme parks, cast members rarely use a radio. They've been taught to use land lines to call Reedy Creek directly. Just pound out a quick 911 and help is immediately on the way. Mind you, "Central Base" CAN BE involved in an medical emergency. But only if the initial call comes in over a radio. If an emergency dispatch actually comes in through the "Central Base" radio system, a alarm actually sounds over the frequency. This alarm is issued by the Reedy Creek emergency response team itself as they're en route to the incident. A "Please clear the line" spiel is read (to cut back on unnecessary radio chatter). And then information is given about the location of the particular incident. Within seconds, a little white covered golf-cart (A "pargo" in Disney parlance) is on its way to offer assistance. Now ... As for people's concerns about Reedy Creek Emergency's response to incidents in the parks: Jim, there are Reedy Creek personnel already on duty in each of the theme parks. In fact, these are the guys who are driving the "pargo." So they already know the parks inside out. Typically what these guys do -- once they get an incident call -- is that they drive their golf cart backstage to the point that's closest to where the incident occurred. They then schlep the necessary equipment into the park and deal with the injury on scene. If the guest is ambulatory, they can walk them backstage to the pargo. If not, they can quickly arrange for a wheelchair or a stretcher. Meanwhile, Reedy Creek's larger pieces of support equipment -- their fire trucks and ambulances -- are also en route. Using the theme park's backstage access roads to get as close as possible to the injured party. If need be, these guys can rendevous with the pargo backstage and then zoom the injured guest to the appropriate area hospital. So the proposed consolidation of WDW's "Central Bases" ... I honestly believe that it's going to have zero impact on how Reedy Creek Emergency deals with incidents inside the theme parks. These guys are pros, Jim. They know the parks inside and out. There's no way that they're going to let some consolidation compromise the medical care that they're going to guests who've been injured in the theme parks. That just ain't gonna happen.
"Central Base" is the behind-the-scenes comm center that WDW cast members typically use when they're trying to get ahold of another cast member who's working in the park that day. Particularly if they're unfamiliar with the other employee's extension.
Usually what happens when "Central Base" gets a message that they need to pass along, they pick up a radio and -- using several frequencies that Disney has set aside -- contact the cast member in question. The CB staff can then pass along the message directly and/or tell the cast member to contact their friend using a hardline.
So what "Central Base" really does for Disney's theme park employees is play switchboard. Were you to listen on a typical afternoon of backstage radio chatter at the parks, you'd hear exchanges like:
EPCOT CENTRAL BASE : Epcot Central Base.CAST MEMBER: Please have Epcot 42 contact extension 7555.EPCOT CENTRAL BASE: Central base to Epcot 42.EPCOT 42: Epcot 42, by.EPCOT CENTRAL BASE: Please contact ext. 7555.
Typically, the chatter that you'd hear would be fairly hum-drum. Attraction downtimes, "Manager, please contact extension ..." requests, custodial dispatches as well as the occasional medical request.
Speaking of medical stuff: Typically, if there's a medical emergency in one of the theme parks, cast members rarely use a radio. They've been taught to use land lines to call Reedy Creek directly. Just pound out a quick 911 and help is immediately on the way.
Mind you, "Central Base" CAN BE involved in an medical emergency. But only if the initial call comes in over a radio.
If an emergency dispatch actually comes in through the "Central Base" radio system, a alarm actually sounds over the frequency. This alarm is issued by the Reedy Creek emergency response team itself as they're en route to the incident. A "Please clear the line" spiel is read (to cut back on unnecessary radio chatter). And then information is given about the location of the particular incident. Within seconds, a little white covered golf-cart (A "pargo" in Disney parlance) is on its way to offer assistance.
Now ... As for people's concerns about Reedy Creek Emergency's response to incidents in the parks: Jim, there are Reedy Creek personnel already on duty in each of the theme parks. In fact, these are the guys who are driving the "pargo." So they already know the parks inside out.
Typically what these guys do -- once they get an incident call -- is that they drive their golf cart backstage to the point that's closest to where the incident occurred. They then schlep the necessary equipment into the park and deal with the injury on scene. If the guest is ambulatory, they can walk them backstage to the pargo. If not, they can quickly arrange for a wheelchair or a stretcher.
Meanwhile, Reedy Creek's larger pieces of support equipment -- their fire trucks and ambulances -- are also en route. Using the theme park's backstage access roads to get as close as possible to the injured party. If need be, these guys can rendevous with the pargo backstage and then zoom the injured guest to the appropriate area hospital.
So the proposed consolidation of WDW's "Central Bases" ... I honestly believe that it's going to have zero impact on how Reedy Creek Emergency deals with incidents inside the theme parks. These guys are pros, Jim. They know the parks inside and out. There's no way that they're going to let some consolidation compromise the medical care that they're going to guests who've been injured in the theme parks. That just ain't gonna happen.
Well -- me personally -- I have to admit that I found Buffalo Bill's note very reassuring. Given that it now looks like -- no matter what sort of change-out/consolidation that Disney World allegedly has in the works for the "Central Bases" in its theme parks -- these proposed change-outs will have little or no impact on guest safety in the theme parks.
In fact -- if what I've been hearing about the technological upgrade that's supposed to be part of the "Central Base" consolidation (I.E. WDW's old Motorola radios will soon be replaced with equipment from Nextel) turns out to be true -- Disney World could actually be taking a step up here, emergency response-wise. Rather than a step down.
Still, some veteran Disney World cast members are unnerved at the very idea that Epcot and Animal Kingdom will soon be losing their very own "Central Bases." To quote one unnamed vet:
"They can talk about the new improved technology all they want. But the fact of the matter is we're going from four 'Central Bases' to two. And there's even been talk that -- in an effort to help pay for these brand new state-of-the-art radios -- that they're going to be cutting back on the number of cast members who staff the consolidated comm centers every day. That -- to me, anyway -- spells trouble. Yeah, 'Central Base' doesn't actually handle the bulk of the emergency calls that come in from the theme parks. But they DOhandle the ones that come in via radio. So what happens if the person who's running one of these new two park 'Central Bases' suddenly gets swamped ... And then an emergency call comes through. What's going to happen then, eh? The system that we have now works just fine. I don't understand why -- just because management continues to push for cost cuts and the ops people desperately want newer technology -- that the cast members have to have this whole new consolidated ' Central Base' set-up rammed down their throats. This whole 'Central Base' consolidation thing was one of those ideas that was so stupid, it should have been shot down the second that it was originally proposed. Not only is this change-out going to cost Disney a lot of money than they originally planned -- cramming four 'Central Bases' worth of equipment into two new locations. But it's also going to cost the Mouse a fortune or two to undo. When -- three of four years down the line -- managers suddenly decide that they actually preferred the old system and wish that things could now go back the way they originally were."
"They can talk about the new improved technology all they want. But the fact of the matter is we're going from four 'Central Bases' to two. And there's even been talk that -- in an effort to help pay for these brand new state-of-the-art radios -- that they're going to be cutting back on the number of cast members who staff the consolidated comm centers every day.
That -- to me, anyway -- spells trouble. Yeah, 'Central Base' doesn't actually handle the bulk of the emergency calls that come in from the theme parks. But they DOhandle the ones that come in via radio. So what happens if the person who's running one of these new two park 'Central Bases' suddenly gets swamped ... And then an emergency call comes through. What's going to happen then, eh?
The system that we have now works just fine. I don't understand why -- just because management continues to push for cost cuts and the ops people desperately want newer technology -- that the cast members have to have this whole new consolidated ' Central Base' set-up rammed down their throats.
This whole 'Central Base' consolidation thing was one of those ideas that was so stupid, it should have been shot down the second that it was originally proposed. Not only is this change-out going to cost Disney a lot of money than they originally planned -- cramming four 'Central Bases' worth of equipment into two new locations. But it's also going to cost the Mouse a fortune or two to undo. When -- three of four years down the line -- managers suddenly decide that they actually preferred the old system and wish that things could now go back the way they originally were."
Admittedly, that's a rather bleak take on this whole situation. And -- certainly -- as WDW goes from the current four "Central Base" set-up down to two, there are sure to be mix-ups and mis-steps. Here's hoping that no one's health gets compromised while the Mouse is busy working all of the bugs out.
Your thoughts?