DELTONA, Fla. – Deltona fire officials want to cut fire emergency response times, but say that could take tens of millions of dollars in upgrades. The city is looking to renovate existing fire stations and build several new ones to keep up with rapid population growth.
The official cost is not finalized. It could change depending on design, additions, and approvals, but right now, the estimate is about $50 million.
Chief Snyder walked News 6 through the fire stations, the proposal and showed why he believes it’s needed.
“Modern fire stations have separate bunk rooms for males and females. This is one big room. We try to separate it the best we can with lockers to try to give a little bit of privacy,” he said while showing Fire Station 63 on Howland Boulevard.
Snyder said the department has the manpower and equipment to keep up with the growing city, but lacks space.
“This station was originally designed for volunteers. For example, the office space is a 10-by-10 room where five people have to come back, do reports, and get ready for the next call,” he explained.
An analytics firm’s report recommended major upgrades to meet the city’s growing demands.
“We’re looking to renovate one of our stations, rebuild a couple of stations, and add two more stations to the total number we have,” Snyder said.
The chief said adding stations and expanding capacity could improve response times by about 14%, and that could mean cutting response from seven minutes to three minutes.
“With the population increase over the last few years, since our last station was built, and the rise in call volume, there is a need to add stations on the east and southwest ends of the city,” Snyder said.
Paying for the estimated $50 million in upgrades could come from bonds, grants, or potentially raising impact fees for future residents.
“Next is taking it to the commission for approval to move forward. After that, we would design stations and find land,” Snyder said.
The commission may discuss the plan at its meeting next Monday, but no official vote is scheduled yet. The city will discuss its budget in the early fall.
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