Dayton Firefighters Federal Credit Union is the latest credit union to join a national shared branching network.

Dayton Firefighters Federal Credit Union is the latest locally based credit union to join a national shared branching network.

The service, which will be offered in 2016, will let members of another credit union conduct transactions at Dayton Firefighter's and lets their members conduct transactions elsewhere like they are at their home credit union.

The Dayton-based credit union only has one brick and mortar branch in the Oregon District, and marketing manager Shannon O'Neill said joining the shared branching network is an efficient way to increase access without building more expensive branches.

"We can't build a branch on every corner but what we can do is allow our members to have access when and where they need it," she said.

With 5,340 locations, the shared branching network is the third largest branch network, behind Wells Fargo and Chase. There are 44 shared branching locations in greater Dayton, with participating credit unions like Wright-Patt Credit Union and Day Air Credit Union.

The credit union will pay when its members do transactions at other branches and will get income when members come to its Patterson Boulevard branch. O'Neill anticipates the credit union mostly paying for its customers to access other branches instead of taking in revenue from outside customers coming to their branch.

However, she said the model is still the most cost-effective way to keep members by giving them access anywhere.

According to Dayton Business Journal research, Dayton Firefighters Federal Credit Union is the 13th largest credit union in the Dayton area with $51.61 million in assets and 4,103 members.