Globe Safety Product's Inquiry Regarding Firefighters Breathing Apparatus Developed for NASA by Scott Aviation Company

Gao ID: PSAD-77-68 February 22, 1977

Globe Safety Products, Inc.'s concerns about a firefighters' breathing apparatus developed by Scott Aviation Company under a 1972 NASA contract were investigated. Globe claimed that NASA improperly allowed Scott to use Government tooling and design data generated under the contract to develop a commercial breathing apparatus and that NASA financed a publication which advertised the Scott apparatus.

Scott did not use any special tool designs or tooling to fulfill its contractual responsibility for production of the NASA firefighter breathing system units. The technology transfer mandate of the Space Act of 1958 charged NASA with responsibility for the widest and most practical and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities. Information about the Scott system was in accordance with such legislation. Globe advised that it was not protesting NASA's award of the contract to Scott, but was requesting a ruling by the Comptroller General as to the justification of the NASA expenditure of funds to advertise Scott's firefighters' breathing apparatus.



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