In some cases, DOD retained some of the property and created military enclaves on closed installations. The Navy retained exclusive federal jurisdiction over about 270 acres as a military enclave. Together, the Navy-retained and Navy-transferred property is called the Philadelphia Naval Business Center. The City of Philadelphia is responsible for providing fire protection services to private development on non-Navy property at the business center. The DOD Fire and Emergency Services Program provides policy that governs fire protection at military installations. Using these criteria, the federal enclave at the business center is required to have a fully staffed on-site federal fire-fighting force; however, some of the fire-fighting force may be satisfied by city assets based on a mutual aid agreement. According to Navy officials, federal fire protection was retained because the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania did not respond to the Navy’s request in 1999 to change the jurisdictional status of the property from exclusive federal to proprietary jurisdiction in anticipation of the Navy transferring the ownership of excess land. Fire Protection at the Business Center Is Similar to That Provided Elsewhere in Philadelphia

The level of fire protection at the business center is similar to that available elsewhere in the City of Philadelphia, but the arrangements for providing that protection are different. When a fire occurs on non-Navy property within the business center, both the City of Philadelphia Fire Department and the firefighters from the Navy’s enclave automatically respond to the call. When a fire occurs at the Navy’s enclave at the business center, only the Navy firefighters automatically respond to the alarm. According to the Philadelphia Fire Department Commissioner, as development in the business center continues to expand, his office is expected to reevaluate the location of fire stations located near the business center. This jurisdictional change would have been similar to what occurred at most other military enclaves created during the base closure and realignment process.
What GAO Found

When the Department of Defense closed military installations as a part of the base realignment and closure process and transferred properties to public and private ownership, it in some cases retained a portion of an installation as a military enclave. During this process, legal jurisdiction over an enclave may be transferred from the federal government to the local government. Such a transfer may incorporate provisions for fire protection and other services by local and state governments. A federal fire-fighting service provides fire protection services at the Navy's enclave located at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center. This is one of the three military enclaves, formed during the base closure and realignment process, which is still protected by federal firefighters. Twenty-four other military enclaves were converted from federal to local fire protection during the base closure process. The Navy retained a federal fire-fighting force at its enclave at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center because of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania did not respond to the Navy's request to change the jurisdiction of the Navy-retained land. The level of fire protection at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center is similar to that available elsewhere in the City of Philadelphia, but the arrangements for providing that protection differ. If a fire occurs on non-Navy property within the business center, both the Navy and the Philadelphia fire departments will automatically respond to the call, with the Navy as the first responder. However, if the fire is located on Navy-owned property at the business center, only Navy firefighters will automatically respond to the alarm. As private development at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center continues, the fire protection arrangements are expected to be reassessed. The Commissioner of the Philadelphia Fire Department stated that, as development at the business center continues to increase, his office will need to reevaluate the location of city-owned fire stations in the area around the business center.