At Starbase, SpaceX is taking firefighting into its own hands

SpaceX quietly stands in a volunteer fire section to serve a wide launch and manufacturing starsbase complex, making its control over emergency reactions on a quickly known site — and sometimes Explosive – Develop the rocket.

Ay Formation On June 5th, the Starbase Volunteer Fire Department filed by the Texas Secretary of State made what was called the fire department. The original address of the non -profit entity SpaceX listed its headquarters as a 1 Rocket Road in Brownsville. Of the three directors named in the filing, two are SpaceX employees: Cody Die, Environmental Health and Protection Manager and In-House Council Kevin Baglanal. The certificate has signed another SpaceX lawyer Stephen Herandon.

Filing says that the company will “establish, promote and provide for the establishment of systems and facilities for the provision of public safety education, and to establish fire resistance and suppression services.”

SpaceX Histor operates the fire in Terbes in Tihasis, which was recently included as a Texas City, in a combination Internal fire And the emergency response team and local firefighters support from one of the nearest Brownsville.

It is unclear what the new volunteer will have on the external relationship of the fire department, and when asked, Cameron directed County TechCrunch to submit a public information request. At the time of the publication, Cameron County did not respond to that request.

SpaceX, Brownsville Fire Department and Starbase City officials did not respond to Techchen’s request for comments.

It is also unclear whether the Starbes Volunteer Firefighter Division is connected to the 911-division system of County. Since this is a volunteer fire department, it is not controlled by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, which is only authorized to control the local government fire sections, the agency Chief Mike Wisco says.

The new volunteer fire department was established a few months after a formally included city of Starbase Texas. It has led SpaceX and Starbes City officials – most of which are current or ex -spacex employees – they can apply more authority to the corner of Texas. The company’s town announced in September An agreement with Cameron County to take partial control of the beach Near the launch complex. Starbase has installed the gate in June Control public access to the cityThe

The structure of the new volunteer fire department matches the end of a separate system: Emergency Fire Marshall location SpaceX funds inside Cameron County.

During the Commissioner’s meeting on August 2, officials acknowledged that the Marshall of the fire was funded within the Emergency Management Office of SpaceX County. Deputy County Administrator Javier told the Villarial Commissioners, “There was a position that was funded through an agreement for service with SpaceX.

He said that the county was in the process of funding the Fire Marshall position with the new partner, the liquid natural gas developer Nextdeded.

The duties of the fire martial include reviewing planning and inspecting buildings for fire-protection consent. SpaceX can finance positions, which the villager acknowledges that “for inspections” and permissions, so that the county construction can increase workload as it increases. Did not respond to email requests for the Villarial comment.

Starbase is now conducting fire-code observations. This city has appointed two people for the same fire plan reviews and building inspection dealers, safe, safe. Cliff Nevins has been appointed as Fire Marshal and Wade Cain is a building officer.

Taken together, the new volunteer fire department and two safe built appointments suggest that the Starbase has internalized the Fire-Code approval, using a seller to transfer an organization-appointed company when transferring emergency response.

This is different from how the new city of Starbase is managed by law enforcement. There are cities in the company Cameron has arranged an agreement with County Where the two sheriffs will patrol the starbase per shift. Starbase also has access to county prisons at a cost of $ 100 per prisoner every day.

At least one local head of different approaches has turned. In response to the Starbase Fire Marshall Funding Treaty at the August meeting, a commissioner responded, “But they cannot appoint police officers?”

The proposed budget of Starbase for the fiscal year 2026 sets only $ 60,000 for the voluntary fire section, which is a small amount of $ 1.3 million allotted to the law enforcement agreement with the county. The discrimination suggests that SpaceX itself can take part in the bill for equipment and other expenditures.

The shift comes as it extends its launch operations in SpaceX Starbes. The rapid-prototyping method of the development of SpaceX has caused several fire and explosion in the facility. In June, the company’s super heavy booster, an error, an error Trigger a dramatic fireball It was visible for miles miles and was flooded with the call of the residents of the surrounding residents. No injuries were reported.