City may provide fire services for NASA City may provide fire services for NASA (June 25, 2004)

Science center would pay for new firefighters

By David Herbert

Mountain View may extend its fire coverage to protect Moffett Field and the NASA Ames Research Center as early as Oct. 1 when the California Air National Guard relocates its firefighting units from Moffett.

The city is currently conducting a five-month, $100,000 study -- funded by NASA -- to explore the possibility of taking over fire protection services at the nearly 2000-acre facility, according to Ames Fire Marshal Joe Gippetti.

"They're looking at what we have out here in our institutional facilities and trying to determine what the appropriate level of fire protection is," he said.

While the study is looking at the feasibility of contracting the city's fire resources out to NASA, Mountain View officials also want to ensure that any deal they make profits the city.

"We want to find out what the benefit to the community is," said Mountain View Fire Department Battalion Chief Demetrious Shaffer.

Mayor Matt Pear echoed this sentiment.

"It has to be a win-win for all concerned parties," he said. "But I think any expansion into Moffett Field would enhance our ability to provide fire suppression."

According to Gippetti, an agreement between NASA and Mountain View would do just that. NASA would pay the salaries of the new firefighters that the city would need to hire, he said, as well as purchasing necessary equipment and vehicles. The incidence of fires at Ames, he added, is "extremely low" and would likely leave the firefighters available to provide better coverage in the city.

If Mountain View takes on fire protection duties for NASA, the fire department would also provide emergency services for the president when Air Force One lands at Moffett, said Capt. Timothy Perez, a member of the 129th Rescue Wing of the California Air National Guard.

The 129th, which currently provides fire protection services for NASA, has been relocating firefighters to other bases since 1999, Perez said. The Guard has continued to provide fire and emergency medical assistance at NASA's request, but will finalize its relocation Sept. 30.

The director of each NASA research facility is responsible for securing adequate fire protection. Nationwide, centers piece together emergency services in a variety of ways, said Gippetti.

"At Glenn Research Center in Ohio, they make agreements with three different local municipalities for protection. At Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, the airfield is protected by the Texas Air National Guard. The structural side of the facility is protected by contract fire protection," he said.

E-mail David Herbert at dherbert@mv-voice.com

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