Next week is National Arson Awareness Week (May 7-13, 2017)
Each year for Arson Awareness Week (AAW), the U.S. Fire Administration gathers and shares information to raise awareness of arson or youth firesetting and provide individuals with strategies to combat these problems in their community.
This year's theme is Arson prevention at houses of worship:
Fire Prevention & Public Education /
Outreach Materials & Educational Programs /
Arson Awareness
Help community leaders increase awareness about how to prevent arson at houses of worship.
Spotlight recent arson fires at houses of worship in United States.
Preventing Arson at Houses of Worship Webinar
Each year for
Arson Awareness Week, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) gathers and shares information to raise awareness of arson or youth fire-setting and provide individuals with strategies to combat these problems in their community. Arson Awareness Week will be from May 7-13 this year and USFA is providing
shareable content about how to help community leaders increase awareness about how to prevent arson at houses of worship.
The burning of a house of worship not only devastates the affected congregation, but wounds the entire community. Whether the motivation behind the arson is hate or reckless vandalism, a congregation views it as an attack on their beliefs and values. Arson robs congregations of their valuable assets, lives and property. Arson destroys more than the buildings used as houses of worship; it can devastate a community, resulting in the decline of the neighborhood through increased insurance premiums, loss of business revenue, and a decrease in property values.
Houses of worship are particularly vulnerable to fire damage because they’re often unoccupied for long periods of time, and in many cases, in rural areas. Rural properties will generally sustain more severe damage – even with an accidental fire – since discovery and response time may be delayed.
