ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The population in Horizon West, an unincorporated area of Orange County just south of Winter Garden and west of Windermere, climbed from 14,000 in 2010 to more than 58,000 in 2020, according to the U.S Census.​

Emergency services have had to react quickly to an influx of new residents and businesses. Orange County Fire Rescue has taken creative measures while more permanent solutions are built.

What You Need To Know

  • Rapid growth of Horizon West area puts stress on Orange County Fire Services

  • From 2019 to 2021, the calls rose from about 1,000 per year to 1,565

  • A new fire station is expected to be operational by next summer

  • That would boost the number of fire stations in the area to two, from zero three years ago

When the alarm sounds at station 44 in Horizon West, seconds matter to Lt. Derrick Ewell.

“It’s exciting," said Ewell, a 20-year veteran of Orange County Fire Rescue. "You never know what to expect. You never know what to expect until you get to the truck and look at the MDC and actually look at the call that you're responding to.

"There are so many different things we do in the fire service. Most people think we just fight fires and handle medical calls, but it goes way over and beyond just that."

The six firefighters at station 44 are on the go more than ever.

According to Orange County Fire Rescue, Station 44 responded to just more than 1,000 calls in 2019. In 2021, it responded to 1,565 — about a 50% increase.  

Once firefighters respond and one emergency is handled, it’s back to the station until the next one. 

Ewell chalks the numbers up to constant expansion.

"A lot of it's due to the area with the booming construction," Ewell said. "We've noticed a lot of new homes being built, businesses. A lot of the two-lane roads have basically been widened now to four-lane roads, so we have a lot more traffic. Auto accidents are created from that obviously. So it is a pretty big boom out in this area."

The station itself, located on the grounds of Orlando Health, is much different than all the others.

“Obviously, it's a temporary station," Ewell said. "This was put in place to reduce the response times that they had out here in the Horizon West area. It's been here just over three years."

It is tight quarters for the firefighters who cover such a large area, but this is only temporary, as a new permanent station is being built nearby, at the intersection of Reams and Fiquette roads. 

"Then Station 48 would take over the temporary Station 44," said Ewell, looking at his map of what areas each station covers. "So adding another station might manipulate a little bit of what our response areas it's going to be."

Ewell pointed out that the addition of the new station by next summer will put two staffed fire stations in an area of Orange County where none existed three years ago.

“It essentially doubles the coverage out here, reducing the response times, therefore providing the best for the citizens of Orange County out in Horizon West,” Ewell said. 

“Great things on the Horizon."