Watch Commander Sean Tomkins West Midlands Fire Service Arson Task Force & Fire Investigation & Prevention Section

Arson Task Force

Profile of the arsonist Cost of Fire Economic downturn Cost to the tax payer Communication/ Prevention

Six classifications of a fire-setter. Vandalism Excitement Revenge Crime concealment Profit Extremism

Typical Arsonist Raised in a chaotic environment Peak age for being arrested for arson is 15 White male years old, revenge/ serial arsonist Lacks safety awareness Peer dominated Victim of physical or sexual abuse Loners Live a quarter of a mile from the incident Likes to watch the results of there work, may even call the fire service.

Cost of Fire The estimated total cost of fire for England in 2008 was £8.3bn. This was similar to 2006, increasing only slightly by 1.0 per cent from £8.2bn (2006) to The cost of arson decreased to £1.7bn (2008) from £1.9bn (2006).

Statistics What damage does the arsonist cause Schools students affected. Willenhall School Fire, Community impact, disruption to students, etc, etc, etc. Business 80 % do not recover from major fire. Jobs, Community impact. Communities Creates the fear of crime, certain areas look like war zones, discourages business investment, leading to the loss of jobs.

? What follows a double/ triple dip

Alls Great?? 76% reduction in incidents since 2003 after the creation of Arson Task Forces Nationally

Cost of Fire The estimated total cost of fire for England in 2008 was £8.3bn. This was similar to 2006, increasing only slightly by 1.0 per cent from £8.2bn (2006) to The cost of arson decreased to £1.7bn (2008) from £1.9bn (2006). Less incidents, cost still increasing What effect has austerity had on the fire service?.

West Midlands cost 27% of total cost of fire arson related?? Cost of response 1.8bn Cost per incident £3,186 Domestic fires £41,293 Commercial £ Public Sector £56,787 Economic cost of fire 2008

Prevention/ Reduction Process S canning – Routine scanning for emerging and existing problems A nalysis – Analyse the features to identify the causes (why and How it’s happening) R esponse – Take action to solve the problem & reduce the risk of it happening again A ssessment – Examine the effectiveness of the response

General Advice Rubbish Removal – Wheelie Bins Positioning of Skips General Lighting (BS 5489 Advisory Note) CCTV Broken Windows Effect Empty/ Unsecured Properties Abandoned Cars Parking – Preventing the obstruction of firefighting Community Communications Partnership working with your local Police and Fire Service (Fire Safety Centre) New development advice (Secure by Design) Your Office will also require a Fire Risk Assessment Sprinklers as one example of protection. Repair work (crime prevention) – Don’t replace to the same standard as it is clearly not fit for purpose!

Biggest Worries Further cuts in services Lack of investment Interest Rates

Rental properties

Spikes Under Window Bared cables at window

Incidents

Communication/ Prevention KYBIB KYHIB KYSIB RIFS

History

Repeat Incident Flagging System (RIFS) Case Study --Original Message----- From: Orders_ Sent: 17 October 07:35 To: Sean Tomkins Subject: Multiple Incident Report - E03 New Incident:- Incident No.: 61836; Date/Time: 17-OCT-05:29:42 Address: Result Type: FDR; Property Type: Domestic; Motive: S; Station: E03 Previous Incidents (No. Date/Time Result Type Motive): SEP- 23:47:02 FDR S

Case study -Original Message----- From: Order's-Mail Sent: 13 October :21 To: Sean Tomkins Subject: Multiple Incident Report - E07 New Incident:- Incident No.: 61225; Date/Time: 13-OCT :43:13 Address: Result Type: FAE; Property Type: Domestic; Motive: -; Station: E07 Previous Incidents (No. Date/Time Result Type Motive): AUG :54:32 FAE DEC :19:48 FAE JUL :00:18 FAE JUL :17:40 FAE JUN :12:55 FAE JUN :20:13 FAE -

250,000 properties WMFS SandwellCoventrySolihullB,HamDudleyWolvesWalsall

Partnership working, sharing data and best practice. Reduced cost to all Reduced incidents Reduced risk for fire fighters & public One stop shop.

Any Questions