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Arson reduction
Each week, there are over 2000 arson attacks which result in an average of 2 deaths and over 50 injuries. With attacks on property exceeding 100,000 a year, the cost of arson runs into billions of pounds. However there are many things you can do to help avoid being one of the statistics.
- Protecting your home
- Protecting your business
- Overview
- Protecting our schools
- Further information and where to get help
- Protecting your community
Arson attacks on domestic property are a common problem. Whilst
less likely to be as a result of an opportunistic attack, domestic
arson is often linked to other crimes such as burglary, domestic
violence or hate-related crimes.
As well as being a dangerous and frightening experience, a fire in
your home can be financially devastating if you don't have adequate
insurance. Clearly it is preferable to prevent a fire in the first
place and preventing arson in the home is closely linked with
preventing intruders gaining access - ensure all windows and doors
are locked at night and when the house is empty. If there have been
arson attacks in the local area, you might want to consider
installing an arson-proof letterbox.
For further information on other ways to protect your home from the
risks of fire, review the Home Fire Safety
section on this website.
Arson is the single most common cause of fire on business
premises and the majority of arson attacks are down to
opportunistic vandalism. A frightening statistic is that up to 80%
of businesses never fully recover from a serious fire.
The Arson
Prevention Bureau have produced some excellent documentation to
help you prevent your business becoming another target:
The Arson Prevention Bureau Business webpage
Regulatory
Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety)
Order 2005 emphasises that responsibility for fire safety rests
with individual businesses and their nominated 'responsible
persons'. Find out more about this legislation and what it means
for your business by clicking here: Workplace Safety
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Arson is a serious problem. Over a hundred people die each year
and thousands are injured from arson attacks on homes, schools,
businesses and many other vulnerable sites.
There are some basic steps you can take to help protect your
property which centre on three simple objectives:
• Reduce the opportunity for fires to occur
• Make it harder for arsonists to operate
• Take steps to prevent and apprehend
Ways of achieving this include:
• Minimise the amount of combustible material that is left in and
around buildings.
• Ensure the property is secure with adequate locks on doors and
windows and the provision of security lighting.
• Carry out a fire risk assessment, fit smoke alarms and plan an
effective escape route - click on the links below for further
information.
• Park vehicles in a well lit place, fit an anti-theft device and
don't leave valuables on show.
There are hundreds of arson attacks on schools each year and
incredibly a third of these happen during normal school hours.
Typically carried out by either a pupil or ex-pupils who live in
the local area, these attacks are often opportunistic.
Schools can protect themselves against the threat of arson with a
few simple techniques and this doesn't necessarily mean expensive
alarm systems or hours of detailed risk assessment.
The Arson Prevention Bureau have published a
leaflet which provides further guidance and also have information
on their website which you can view by clicking on the following
links:
The Arson Prevention Bureau Schools
webpage
The Arson Prevention Bureau's "How to combat arson
in schools" webpage
Further information and where to get help
Your local Fire & Rescue Service
Contact your local Fire & Rescue Service for
further information, help and guidance on any aspect of arson.
Car fires
Vehicle arson is the single most common type of arson
accounting for nearly two-thirds of all deliberate fires started.
On average, over 90,000 road vehicles go up in flames each year.
The vast majority of car fires are started to cover up other
criminal activity or simply as an act of vandalism - a car that is
a target for crime is a target for arson.
Awareness is the key to combating vehicle arson and the Fire &
Rescue Services have worked closely with the Police and Local
Authorities on a number of initiatives to tackle the problem.
However the onus is still on the motorist to take all steps
necessary to protect their vehicle.
The Arson Prevention Bureau have published a
leaflet which provides further guidance and also have information
on their website which you can view by clicking on the following
links:
The Arson Prevention Bureau Car Fires
webpage
The Arson Prevention Bureau Preventing Car Fires
webpage
Places of worship
Hundreds of major arson attacks on places of worship
happen each year and they face unique problems that can make them
specific targets:
• Religious articles often have a high value and may not be locked
away at night.
• There may be expensive equipment left on-site, such as a PA
system or musical instruments.
• Places of worship can attract people looking for shelter who may
start fires either accidentally or deliberately.
• Places of worship may be a target for hate crime in some
areas.
• Many buildings lack adequate security which increases risk.
There are a number of simple, common-sense things you can do to
help minimise the risk of vandalism or arson attacks which
include:
• Consider the risks - ask a local crime prevention officer to
carry out a survey of your building.
• Restrict entry to the building and monitor access to the
site.
• Do not open suspect packages.
• Report suspicious vehicles to the police.
• Encourage staff to take security seriously.
The Arson Prevention Bureau have published a
leaflet which provides further guidance and also have information
on their website which you can view by clicking on the following
links:
The Arson Prevention Bureau Places of Worship
webpage
The Arson Prevention Bureau Protecting Places of
Worship webpage
Additional information
For further information on ways in which to protect your
community, try these additional links:
The Arson Prevention Bureau Communities
webpage
Community charter for Fire Protection
The Department for the
Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) provides
information on the risks associated with fly-tipping
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