PROTECTING STRUCTURES FROM
Arson is the leading cause of property loss due to fire. Over a half million arson fires, including 100,000 building fires, costs our nation more than $2 billion annually and kill over 700 people. It costs our communities so much more! One-fourth of all fires are arson and over one-half of them are set by juveniles.
Install lights covering al sides of the building including the parking lots. Motion activated lighting, which is very inexpensive, should be placed near the entrances. Don’t advertise that the building is empty. Interior lights on timers give the illusion that the building is occupied.
Arsonist work mostly at night. Buildings with a dark exterior provide many hiding places for arsonists.
Alarm devices can be inexpensively wired through the telephone circuits to transmit an alarm to the police or fire department. Check the cost of contracting with a security firm for response to alarms.
Ensure that your electrical service is adequate for current demands.
Make sure that nothing blocks the view of the building. During the growing season, bushes and trees may need to be trimmed frequently.
Most buildings have too many keyed doors. Reduce the number of keyed doors and keep a record of who has a key. If you don’t know who has a key to your building, change the locks. If a key is lost, change the locks. It is generally not necessary to have more than one or two doors with key locks. All other doors should be equipped with dead bolts or, in assembly areas, panic hardware that will permit exiting when doors are locked.
The hardware used to lock windows can sometimes be easily forced with a credit card or other tool. The best type of window hardware has spring-loaded bolts that insert through the window frame into the wall frame. If bars are used on windows in congregation areas, make certain they can be released form the inside, in the event that the window is needed as an emergency escape.
Nothing is gained by protecting windows and doors at ground level if trespassers have easy access to upper floors. Install fire escapes or stairs that cannot be accessed at ground level. If any exterior stairway exists, close the property with a fence and locked gate.
Initiate a fire reporting procedure. Post names and telephone numbers of contact persons on or near the door for use by the fire or police department in the event of a break-in or fire. Involve the police and fire departments and your insurance agent in your arson prevention activities. Call your police and fire department to request a fire prevention and security evaluation. This may result in a deduction of your insurance premiums.
Ask strangers to identify themselves – the innocent will not mind. Register guests and remove the registry form the building each night. Check the credentials of service personnel asking permission to enter. If in doubt, call their company to verify their identity. After many arson fires, neighbors remember that they were suspicious of a person or car but did not know what to do, or whom to call. Educate residents and neighbors regarding suspicious activity including: the date and time; a description of vehicles, license numbers, and persons; and immediately call the local police.
The probability of arson increases during exciting holidays or celebrations as Halloween, 4th of July, New Year’s Eve, and major athletic events, as well as during periods of social unrest. During these events, there is a need for heightened awareness and surveillance. A rotating schedule of volunteer members to either stand watch, or provide irregularly scheduled patrols can be very effective.
The boiler room or heating room of many public buildings
is a storehouse of unused and unneeded paper, trash, cleaning supplies,
partial cans of paint and other materials that make a bonfire of the structure
when arranged by the arsonist. Store all flammables, paint,
gasoline, mowers, etc. outside in a locked storage building.
MAKE
A MEDIA EVENT OF YOUR EFFORTS.
Arsonists seldom strike facilities that are ready for them.
