EASTPOINT, Fla. (May 27, 2003) – The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office expects to avoid lightning damage, save money in office equipment and improve its work environment, all thanks to help from the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP), a NASA-funded outreach program.
     The Sheriff’s Office facility has experienced electrical problems due to lightning strikes since its construction 12 years ago. “Nearly every time there is a big storm, our building is struck by lightning, knocking out communications, computers and other equipment,” said Major Ron Crum of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. “After a lightning strike, we couldn’t even communicate with our officers. We had to find a solution.”
     The Sheriff’s Office attempted to solve the problem using outside engineers, but the cost was prohibitive. That was when the Sheriff’s Office contacted SATOP for help. SATOP provides free engineering assistance to small businesses with technical challenges through donations of time and expertise from 32 Space Alliance Partners.
Crum made a request for assistance and was referred to Carlos Mata, Ph.D. of Dynacs, Inc., a SATOP Alliance Partner located at the Kennedy Space Center. Dr. Mata is an expert in the field of lightning protection.
     After visiting the Sheriff’s facilities and reviewing the existing structures, Dr. Mata made several suggestions for improving the current system, including the installation of air termination devices for the communication tower and surge suppressor devices to be located in several areas. In addition, questions concerning safety, grounding and future installations were addressed.
     “We educated their technicians and informed them of good and bad practices on indoor and outdoor installations,” said Mata. “We expect summer thunderstorms to play a less damaging role in the years to come after the implementation of the recommended modifications.”
     Crum said SATOP’s assistance greatly benefited the Sheriff’s Office. “SATOP provided us access to exceptional expertise and in-depth knowledge about the problem,” he said. “We’re looking forward to implementing Dr. Mata’s recommendations and the prospect of lightning damage being a thing of the past.”