Deltona outlines plan to replace, add and modernize fire stations to improve response times

Deltona Fire Chief Bill Snyder told the City Commission on June 30 that the department plans to replace at least two aging stations, renovate others and add two new facilities to improve response times, firefighter safety and operational capacity.

Snyder said the proposal would raise the city27s number of stations from five to seven and that detailed cost and funding discussions would take place during the budget process. "Cost and funding will be discussed at a later meeting, probably when budgets being done or as we get a better idea of actual costs of this project," Snyder said.

The plan responds to several operational pressures, Snyder said: call volume that rose from about 8,000 calls in 2010 to just under 12,000 in 2024; many stations built in the 1970s and 1980s; limited bunk and bathroom space for a changing workforce; constrained equipment storage; and travel times that exceed National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) travel-time recommendations.

Snyder provided several performance metrics: at the 90th percentile Deltona27s alarm-processing time from county dispatch is roughly 3 minutes and 3 seconds, turnout time is about 1 minute 42 seconds, and travel time averages 6 minutes 49 seconds, producing a 90th-percentile total first-arrival time of about 10 minutes 20 seconds. By contrast, NFPA guidance for travel time for a first-due engine is four minutes and NFPA expects a full complement of 17 responders on a structure fire within eight minutes.

A consultant analysis by Dark Horse that Snyder presented models how relocating and adding stations would affect performance. Using the travel-time component only (not alarm-processing time, which is handled by the county), Dark Horse estimated current compliance with the NFPA travel-time benchmark at 54.07% of responses; the proposed station placements would raise that projection to about 67.54%, Snyder said. He clarified that an earlier workshop document incorrectly listed an 80% projection and that the 67.54% figure is the corrected result after confirming with Dark Horse.

Snyder described the existing station network and the changes under consideration: Station 61 (Providence near Tivoli), Station 62 (Diamond Street off Deltona Boulevard), Station 63 (Howland, across from Publix), Station 64 (Fort Smith near Cortland), and Station 65 (Howland near the center). Station 65 is the newest and has individual bunk rooms; several other stations date to the 1970s and were built for volunteer staffing, Snyder said. The department27s recommendation includes replacing Station 62 with two new facilities (one near Normandy and Saxon, the other on Providence between Normandy and Anderson), adding a new northwest station near Cortland/Haulover, renovating Station 63, and replacing Station 64 because the current Butler-type metal building sits on only 0.4 acres and cannot be reasonably expanded.

Snyder noted operational reasons for relocation and replacement: some stations are on small lots or in neighborhood back streets that add seconds to deployment; reserve apparatus are parked outside and lack protected storage; and several stations lack separate sleeping or bathroom facilities appropriate for mixed-gender staffing and large storm deployments when staffing surges.

Commissioners and staff raised funding questions and related options. Commissioner Nick Lully said the city should examine impact fees as one revenue source and noted his home had paid a $292.86 fire impact fee; he pointed to nearby cities whose impact fees range higher, citing Daytona Beach27s recent study and Clermont27s higher fee as context. "I definitely think that impact fees need to be looked at as a way to fund the needs of this new development," Lully said. Commissioner Santiago urged the commission to include the station plan in the capital improvement plan and to develop a timetable, even if construction would not begin immediately.

Snyder said some elements affecting overall response time are outside the department27s direct control. Volusia County handles dispatching for the region; Snyder said the county is implementing a new computer-aided dispatch system and call-processing software and adding station alerting, changes the county expects to reduce alarm-processing time over the next year. He also said Deltona relies on mutual-aid and closest-unit response from neighboring agencies to meet NFPA personnel benchmarks on larger incidents.

Commissioners also discussed alternatives and constraints. Commissioner Hovington asked whether Station 62 could be retained as a volunteer or reserve facility; Snyder said the department had tried combat (front-line) reserves but that the certification and hiring timeline made retention difficult: candidates often left for paid jobs after a few months. Discussions with the county about co-locating or sharing stations in adjacent unincorporated areas or with neighboring cities were described as possible but unsettled.

Public commenters supported the department and urged both capital investment and accreditation. Resident Tim Blodgett told commissioners, "If you say it needs to be so, then it does." Resident Courtney Cross Burgos asked about cost estimates and cautioned officials about giving dollar figures to news outlets before budget estimates are complete. Resident Brian Deltona urged pursuing accreditation with the Center for Public Safety Excellence, saying accreditation signals a comprehensive investment in training, fitness, equipment and policies.

Snyder and several commissioners said the department27s next steps are to develop detailed cost estimates and to return to commissioners during the budget/CIP process with funding options and a project timetable. Snyder summed up the infrastructure goal as building stations sized and sited to serve the city for decades: "These stations would be here for, you know, 30 to 50 years, the way we plan on building them," he said.

The workshop included the Chief27s presentation, commissioner questions, and three public comments. No formal motions or votes on the station plan were taken at the June 30 workshop; Chief Snyder said funding and specific construction timelines will be addressed in future budget and CIP discussions.