Fire Protection

Jeffry Dudley

Fire Protection Working Group Lead

Jeffry Dudley is an AST in Facility Systems Safety at Kennedy Space Center and the Fire Protection Working Group lead. He has over 25 years of experience. 

Dudley serves as a Systems Safety engineer for ground, lab and facility system designs, concept of operations development, operational planning, verification and validation testing activities, and ground processing safety operations for propellants and Information Technology. He also evaluates safety techniques and procedures associated with the design, development, construction, modification, and/or operation of aerospace or aeronautical facilities, systems, and related equipment. 

Previously he served as the Kennedy Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for all codes and standards relating to Fire Protection and Air Force AHJ for the Air Combat Command, which included large flying wings throughout the United States and various other countries. He was the manager of the Kennedy Fire Protection program, including Fire Protection engineering, fire inspections, fire prevention and fire rescue services. Dudley also developed agencywide NASA Fire Protection policy. In addition, he provides formal interpretation of National Fire Protection Association codes and standards. Before NASA, he was a Naval Facilities Engineering Command Fire Protection engineer. He also served as the Air Force Infrastructure Assessment Fire Protection expert performing review of Air Force Base Fire and Life Safety programs and providing recommendations for improvement.

Dudley has Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Engineering degree in Fire Protection engineering. He is a registered Professional Engineer, as well as a Fire Protection engineering Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator.

Jerry Piasecki

Fire Protection Program Executive

Jerry Piasecki is the Occupational, Facilities and Operations Safety program executive within the Institutional Safety Division in the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance. In this role, he manages policy and requirements and leads technical working groups in the areas of occupational safety, facility safety management, Operational Safety, Fire Protection, Construction Safety, fall protection and Electrical Safety. 

Prior to this role, Piasecki held multiple positions at the NASA Safety Center, including audit program manager for Interim Center Assessments and Technical Discipline Team Lead for Aviation and Operational Safety. He was responsible for planning, organizing and directing a full range of integrated services including development of professional training, collaborative events and working group activities for NASA’s Safety and Mission Assurance community.

Piasecki entered the federal service in 2004 and began his career with NASA as the Fire Protection engineer for Glenn Research Center. He grew in numerous positions with the center to ultimately manage Operational Safety, serve as the emergency management coordinator and Explosives Safety Officer and, develop an integrated systems approach for Facility and Construction Safety.

Additionally, Piasecki has an extensive career as a building safety consultant and engineer for numerous federal agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, State Department, Federal Bureau of Prisons and Federal Aviation Administration. In these roles, he was responsible for design and analysis of complex systems within Bio-Level 5 research facilities, super-maximum security prisons, enriched uranium facilities, air traffic control infrastructure and automotive manufacturing facilities. His early career also included research into microgravity combustion science and investigations of soot formation in ramjet engines. 

Piasecki earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Dayton and a master’s degree in Fire Protection engineering from the University of Maryland with emphasis in hazard and Risk Management. He is a registered Professional Engineer and Plan Examiner and has served on technical committees for the National Fire Protection Association and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers.

Every NASA center has a Fire Protection Point of Contact (PoC). For more information, contact the PoC at your center.