SpaceX has initiated the formation of a volunteer fire department to serve its Starbase complex in Texas, a move that centralizes emergency response under its control through a newly formed nonprofit and a pending municipal contract.
The legal basis for this new organization was established through a certificate of formation filed with the Texas Secretary of State on June 30. This document officially created the entity named the Starbase Volunteer Fire Department. It is structured as a nonprofit organization and lists its primary headquarters at 1 Rocket Road in Brownsville, which is the principal corporate address for SpaceX. The filing names three directors, two of whom are current SpaceX employees.
Cody Dye, an environmental health and safety manager at SpaceX, and Kevin Bagnall, who serves as in-house counsel for the company, are listed as directors. The certificate was signed by Stephen Herndon, another lawyer affiliated with SpaceX. According to the filing, the stated purpose of the nonprofit is to “aid, promote and provide for the establishment of systems and facilities for the provision of public safety education, and fire prevention and suppression services.” This mandate outlines a broad scope of public safety responsibilities intended for the new department.
Further official confirmation of this plan emerged in a document posted by the newly incorporated city of Starbase late on a Tuesday. This document verifies that the volunteer fire department was founded by SpaceX employees. It also states the municipality’s intention to enter into a formal contract with the department. Under the terms of this proposed agreement, the Starbase Volunteer Fire Department will be tasked to “provide Fire Protection Services for all persons and property within the city limits.” The contract is set for an initial term of three years, after which it will be subject to renewal. This arrangement formalizes the relationship between the company-affiliated fire department and the city of Starbase, which itself is largely administered by individuals with ties to SpaceX.
