Officials say a proposed facility for a fire station in Daytona Beach will shave more than two minutes off Fire Rescue’s response time to the area around International Speedway Boulevard.

This week, Volusia County Council approved a proposal to purchase the current United Way building, located at 3747 W. International Speedway Blvd. (U.S. 92), in Daytona Beach, and make it the new home of Fire Station 15.

Currently, Station 15 sits back on Tiger Bay Road as part of the county’s fire training facility. The station itself is less than 800 square feet, which keeps officials from adding additional staff and equipment according to county leaders.

Staff members believe this move will allow them not only to expand, but also to respond to emergencies faster by being closer to critical response routes like I-4 and I-95

"Any time we can cut down response times and expand the response area for a station is a benefit. Because if you look at it now, responding back to that same area for the jail, the training center and all the county complexes back there, they are still within five miles or the eight minutes," said Volusia County Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Joe King. "It is just being out on 92 now gives us that further distance into DeLand, further distance into Daytona and the surrounding residential areas."

King said this especially important because Station 15 is also home to the county’s hazmat response team, which backs up other fire stations all over the county.

The county is hoping to purchase the building for $700,000 dollars, with the funds coming from fire impact fees and the county’s fire fund. Officials say purchasing the building will cost less than the amount they estimated needing to renovate the current Station 15. 

According to the county, United Way has plans of its own to relocate from the current building, which includes an approximately 6,726-square-foot building and more than three acres of land.

If this property is sold to the county, the Facility Management Division will work with outside contractors to figure out how much it will cost to renovate the building to turn it into a working fire station.