Section 2.2 CCE Office Safety and Logistics Support
The CCE Office provides a wide array of resources and logistical support for the NASA-funded ABoVE investigators. This includes: vehicles, storage space, laboratory space, office space, permits assistance, safety training, and field communications. In some cases, the CCE Office can arrange backcountry travel options such as boats, ATVs, aircraft, and snowmachines. Support for NASA teams is based upon specific requests in their proposals, subsequent conversations with the Field Operations Manager, or negotiations with the NASA Program Manager.
Safety analysis, training, and equipment are a significant portion of the field support. All companies, universities, and government entities are required to assess potential hazards and appropriate training prior to commencing fieldwork, as per Federal regulations. In order to assist NASA funded investigators with meeting these legal requirements, the CCE Office has created a Hazard Assessment Form with directed questions to simplify this process. All NASA funded teams are required to complete the hazard assessment and take the safety training courses prescribed by this assessment. The form generates individual safety training plans for project participants, based on how the Project Lead (PI) answers the questions. The individual safety training plans link to training opportunities as well as track completed training. The CCE Office will sponsor various training courses, but cannot be responsible for all training for all teams.
The Safety and Logistics section provides a broad spectrum of field logistics and safety information. There is information on the Hazard Assessment form, safety training plan, and research permits process. The CCE Office has also populated a Safety Library with resources including documentation to help plan trips, bear safety, boat safety, land navigation, etc. This information is open to all ABoVE projects.
Onsite Support:
Fairbanks Logistics Office – The ABoVE Fairbanks Logistics Support Office is a 24-hour/day building of approximately 1500 sq. feet. It is a heated facility that has space for sample preparation, equipment storage, and office space. The CCE Office is providing a local Logistics Coordinator, based out of this facility, to receive researcher shipments, assist with safety training, assist with fieldwork, and manage CCE Office resources. Some of the resources provided out of this office will be a project vehicle, ATV/Snowmachine rentals, field truck rentals, bear spray, chainsaw, first aid/trauma kits, satellite phones, SPOT devices, generators, truck jacks, etc. Field gear will be available on a sign-out basis to NASA funded projects.
The Fairbanks Logistics Office has the capability of supporting some additional services for the ABoVE team. As ABoVE implementation progresses, other activities will likely be managed out of this Office. For more up-to-date information on support functions such as precision GPS, cal/val gases, permits, shipping, etc. click here.
Northwest Territories Support – The support for teams operating in the Northwest Territories will be organized out of Fort Providence and Yellowknife. The CCE Office is collaborating with the Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT) who is providing access to the local helibase in Yellowknife. This location will provide cold storage and office space for the ABoVE Projects to use as a staging area and over winter storage. The highways department in Fort Providence will be providing a facility for cold storage. This will allow ABoVE projects to store large items over winter. Use of these storage and lab spaces will need to be coordinated ahead of time with the CCE Office.
Up to date information on the Hazard Assessment, Logistical Support, and Safety resources can be found here.
