RELEASE NO. 98-147

NOTE TO EDITORS: GODDARD SPONSORS A SAFETY AWARENESS DAY

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. is celebrating "Safety Awareness Day" on Friday, August 14 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This year’s theme is Emergency Preparedness. Among the many displays and exhibits will be a live demonstration of the new Baker Life Safety Evacuation System which features NASA enhancements.

Engineers assigned to Goddard’s Orbital Launch Services (OLS) Project have developed a safe and effective evacuation system for personnel who fuel the Delta rockets located at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Ca.

NASA initially tested the only commercially available evacuation system manufactured by Baker Life Safety of New Castle, Del. Friction from the chemical suits worn by personnel during fueling slowed their escape and the nylon netting material could not sustain extreme heat and flame. Goddard engineers, together with Baker Life Safety, worked together to develop safety improvements for the system. The modified chute features a new Teflon impregnated Kevlar liner for superior flame retardancy and stainless steel cables along each side for grounding and superior strength.

In addition to the Baker Life Safety Evacuation System demonstration, we will feature the following guest speakers, vendors and static displays:

-- opening remarks by GSFC Center Director Al Diaz;

-- Fred Gregory, former astronaut and present Associate Administrator

for Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA Headquarters;

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-- Tom Carr, Captain of Montgomery County Fire Rescue

Services and Head, Federal Emergency Management Association’s

Urban Search and Rescue Team;

-- Emergency response vendors including Montgomery and Anne Arundel County Fire and Rescue Units, U.S. Coast Guard, Maryland

Department of the Environment, Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute; and

-- Emergency response vehicles on display on the mall

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News Media Note: Schedule of events is as follows:

* 9:00 a.m. - Al Diaz’s opening remarks

* 9:15 a.m. - Fred Gregory will address Administrator Goldin’s safety

initiative for NASA.

* 9:30 a.m. - Tom Carr will speak on the Federal Emergency

Management Agency and his personal involvement

in the Oklahoma City bombing. Tom will also explain

what Goddard employees can do to adequately prepare for an emergency.

*10:30 a.m. - Demonstration of the new Baker Life Safety evacuation

system at Building 8.

News media interested in covering Safety Day activities should contact Susan Hendrix on (301) 286-7745 prior to the event. Badges must be obtained prior to gaining access to the Center.