Because of the secrecy, it took firefighters 24 minutes to call for a backup crew, Roberts reported. This is not the first time Disneyland has been under fire for such secretive practices. In a fatal accident in 1998, police criticized the park for failing to promptly notify police, who were kept in a waiting room after they responded. Meanwhile, Disneyland employees cleaned up the accident before investigators arrived. An officer now is stationed at the park and accident scenes are preserved for police.
Some witnesses claim that park employees mishandled the emergency.
Disneyland spokesman Ray Gomez said that the park has confidence in its emergency procedures. We work very closely with the Anaheim Fire Department. None of the injuries on the Space Mountain mishap were considered serious. Anaheim Fire Division Chief Kent Mastain downplayed Roberts' report and said that the fire department has no issues with either how Disneyland operates or how it handled the Space Mountain accident. Mastain speculated that Roberts may have been frustrated after finding himself short-handed.