Inspection Report: IG-0821

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a
multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national
security. LANL operates in “unique” hazard environments, to include special nuclear
materials, explosives, and hazardous chemicals, that create special fire suppression and
emergency management challenges. To address these challenges, LANL must have a
comprehensive approach to the protection of personnel, facilities, physical assets, and
programmatic activities from fire and related dangers. LANL is managed for DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) by Los Alamos National Security,
LLC, which assumed responsibility for the management and operation of LANL on
June 1, 2006.
In December 1992, DOE directly acquired fire suppression and related services under a
5-year contract with the Incorporated County of Los Alamos (County). The Los Alamos
County Fire Department (LAFD) provided fire suppression and related services to LANL
and to the County. The contract expired in December 1997, but the Terms and
Conditions and the Statement of Work of this contract were continued through a series of
Pre-Contract Cost Agreements (PCCAs) between LANL and the County over
approximately the next 11 years. During this period, DOE paid 100 percent of the cost of
LAFD operations, totaling approximately $135 million.