Firefighters Work With Local Partners To Drive Down Arson Rates
Now, as part of the government's overall strategy for combating anti-social behaviour, emergency services, councils and local people are urged to keep up the fight against deliberate fire-setting with particular focus on intervention work with children and young people.
The ODPM minister with responsibility for fire and safety issues, Jim Fitzpatrick, in his foreword to the report, said:
'Our challenge now is to maintain this momentum and tackle some of the more complex factors behind deliberate fire-setting, especially where children and young people are involved.'
'Fire and rescue service personnel and others involved in working with children and young people have shown tremendous commitment, imagination and success, but there is still a great deal more that can be done.'
'The Forum is therefore focusing on the role of youth diversion and youth intervention initiatives, building on the fine work that is already being carried out.'
The report features arson reduction initiatives in Staffordshire, Bristol, Kent, Luton and Northumberland as well as details of all the local schemes funded by the ACF across the country.
Arson is behind more than half of all the primary fires in the UK today causing 100 needless deaths and 2,500 injuries a year. Motives range from revenge, fraud, and crime concealment to simple vandalism and fire-play.
Poorest communities are hardest hit, with those on low incomes 31 times more likely to be affected by deliberate fire-setting and sixteen times more likely to die as a result of such a fire.
According to research carried out by the ODPM-sponsored Arson Control Forum, the majority of arson attacks appear to be committed by a small group of prolific offenders, many of whom are under 18 and also commit other offences.
Fire and rescue services across the country already undertake some youth intervention work targeted at children with an excessive interest in fire-play or adolescents whose fire-setting behaviour is linked to other forms of anti-social behaviour such as vandalism.
Copies of the report and further information about the work of the Arson Control Forum are available at
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_fire/documents/page/odpm_fire_609997.pdf%20
Arson facts and figures
1. In an average week in 2004 arson resulted in: 2,000 deliberately set primary fires 50 injuries; 2 deathsand a cost to society of at least £55 million. The overall annual cost of fire in England and Wales is around £7.7 billion. Of this, arson accounts for £2.8 billion. Fire can severely disrupt the local economy - three quarters of firms suffering a significant fire will be out of business within the year.
2. More than 50,000 children every year have their education disrupted by a school fire - many of them started deliberately
3. What is the Government doing to help?
The ODPM-led Arson Control Forum was set up in April 2001 to provide a strategic programme of arson prevention through multi-agency co-operation.
4. The Forum is chaired by a representative of the Association of Chief Police Officers and has two Vice Chairs representing the Chief Fire Officer's Association and the Association of British Insurers.
5. The Implementation Fund was launched in August 2003 and Ministers agreed to fund or part-fund 66 projects totalling £9.3 million between April 2003 and March 2006. This funding has helped to establish 29 Arson Task Forces (small local multi-agency groups dedicated to arson reduction, usually including the police fire and rescue services and local authorities), 28 cars clear schemes and nine other local arson reduction projects.
6. Last year the Forum set new priorities, focusing on some of the complex issues behind deliberate fire setting involving children and young people and neighbourhood renewal.
7. Intervention work with young fire setters also has clear links with the Government's strategy for dealing with Prolific and other Priority Offenders
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