News
USFA Announces Arson Awareness Week Theme for 2009
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announced that the theme for the 2009 Arson Awareness Week is “Arson for Profit.” USFA and its partners, including the National Volunteer Fire Council, will use the week of May 3-9 to focus public attention on the alarming statistics about Arson for Profit in the hopes of expanding the resources and support necessary to reduce this crime.
Arson for Profit, or economic arson, is when businesses or individuals set fires to reduce financial loss, recoup initial investments, or dispose of depreciated assets usually for a payout from insurance companies.
"Each year firefighters and innocent civilians are needlessly put in danger, injured, and killed as a result of arson fires," said Glenn A. Gaines, Acting U.S. Fire Administrator. "We are pleased to partner with the law enforcement community on efforts to reduce the crime of arson."
According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2005 there were an estimated 323,900 intentional fires reported to U.S. fire departments. These resulted in 490 civilian fire deaths, 3 firefighter on-duty deaths, 1,500 civilian fire injuries, 7,600 firefighter on-duty injuries, and $1.102 billion in direct property damage.
"Arson is a costly crime that's being fanned by the flames of recession. Firefighters and innocent families are endangered when desperate people illegally torch their homes, businesses, and cars for insurance bailouts," said Dennis Jay, Executive Director of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. "Arson also is raising insurance premiums at a time of great stress on honest people's pocketbooks. All Americans are victims of arson, and we all must work to ensure fewer arson matches are ever lit."
For more information, including a media kit for the 2009 Arson Awareness Week campaign, go to http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/aaw/.
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Kimberly Ettinger
Director of Communications
202-887-5700 ext. 19
David Finger
Director of Government Relations
202-887-5700 ext. 12