Commissioners consider solutions to street parking blocking first responders in Orange County

ORLANDO, Fla. — Major parking issues are making it hard for emergency vehicles to get in and out of some Orange County neighborhoods.

Orange County commissioners approved "No Parking" signs for that neighborhood in May—but officials acknowledge this is a countywide problem.

When Filberto Arce visits his son in Orange County, he parks on the street.

He said limited space forces a lot of people to do the same.

"This car will park here and some other on the other side,” he said.

Which can be frustrating, he said, because when cars line both sides, it makes it tough for anyone to drive through.

“There’s a difference between a frustration and a public safety hazard,” said David Kilbury, Orange County Fire Marshal.

Kilbury said fire engines struggle daily for a clear pass on the way to emergencies.

“Of course, we worry about that,” said Tong Le, who lives in Orange County.

“Not only is it a problem for the fire department, but also for school buses, UPS, garbage trucks, deliveries,” said Kilbury.

County public works employees install “No Parking” signs every day.

But the county said it could take up to six month to reach all the requests it has right now.

Cox Media Group