National Foundation for Public Safety

NFPS to Roll-out Advanced  Mobile Command/Operations Center

Advanced Mobile Command Centers and Operations Units have been road-tested as well as deployed by the National Foundation for Public Safety (NFPS).

USS Vandenberg-at-sea.

Artist's conception of ship on ocean bottom as artificial reef.

The Vandenberg Artificial Reef project is a part of               Artificial Reefs of the Keys (ARK), a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit. 

Graphic depicts ship's size relative to the Statue of Liberty.

Capt. Joe Weatherby, Coordinator, the Vandenberg Project.

Simulated surrounding underwater reef & fish development.

USS Vandenberg (Ret.) moved into Colonna's shipyard.

Stairwells will become underwater conduits to the various deck-levels when submerged. 

Public Safety Divers have to traverse such areas to get to victims during real emergencies involving sunken ships.

USS Vandenberg (Ret.) Control Room

$1.5 million NFPS Advanced Mobile Command/Ops. Center.

Congratulations to Capt. Joe Weatherby and all those people, agencies, companies that worked together to SINK-THE-VANDENBERG to become an NEW SECTION OF THE FLORIDA ARTIFICIAL REEF OFF KEY WEST!

NFPS Mobile Operations Unit was Requested to be Available On-Site of Mega-Project to Convert Ship into a New Reef.

The highly specialized ret. USAF Missile, Satellite, NASA Rocket & Space-Capsule Tracking Ship - prepared for sinking by Reefmakers on behalf of Artificial Reefs of the Keys (ARK) - adding 1/10th of a mile of new reef to the ocean bottom.  

The amazing project to submerging such a ship brings the critical public safety benefits of improving the water quality and marine life in the ocean environment right off the coast of the US - as well as providing an additional world-class diving venue for public safety divers to utilize as an underwater  training facility.

Being towed into Colonna's Shipyard, Norfolk, VA

USS Vandenberg @ NASA in Cape Canaveral Florida.

Capt. Weatherby takes NFPS Divers through a look of the layout of the ship topside...before going below: 

Becoming familiar with areas such as this one shown above can become very important for public safety divers - especially if a passenger ship is found to be overturned and divers need to access the interior via such a portal.

Simulated underwater surroundings.

Special thanks and commendation to Capt. Joe Weatherby       and all of the people from all of the agencies and organizations who made this incredible project a reality  -  including the         Artificial Reefs of the Keys (ARK), Reefmakers, Inc. and the Vandenberg educational, monitoring and research resources provided in conjunction with the above by the Florida Keys Community College. 

Their combined efforts will make the ocean environment that we depend on a healthier place.  

The National Foundation for Public Safety (NFPS)                     website  YourSafetyMatters.org  is:

                                                                NFPS Corporate Sponsor