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THE LEADING theme of this month’s edition is perhaps the biggest fire-related threat facing society. Arson is now the single most frequent cause of fire in buildings of all kinds, certainly in the UK, where it is estimated that 50% of all fires causing losses of £250,000-plus are deliberate.The sad fact is that, even with security measures in place, it is extremely hard to stop a determined arsonist. No type of building goes unaffected, with schools, industrial premises, waste areas and vehicles being common targets.
All of which means that the onus falls on prevention work to tackle the problem at source – for example, schemes aimed at young fire setters – and, at the other end of the scale, arson investigation. The lead articles in this edition focus in particular on the investigation side, looking at some of the current thinking among fire, police and forensic specialists to improve joint working and training in arson investigation.
One initiative is a project to exchange best practice in arson prevention and investigation across Europe. A database drawing on the experiences of specialists in 33 countries and the development of basic-level Europe-wide fire investigation training modules are among the outputs of this project, which is due for completion later this year.
The need for arson investigators in the UK to have formal joint working practices is also emphasised. We hear how uncoordinated fire and police services are at risk of failing to initiate arson investigations at an early stage and may find difficulty in obtaining the evidence needed to successfully prosecute suspected offenders.
However, while investigations that lead to prosecution send out a strong message that arson is not to be tolerated, there is a growing train of thought that a broader, more strategic approach is needed to better tackle the threat.
Central to this argument is that arson and fire investigations should not simply be used to apportion blame, but should be used more widely to support community safety. Investigation findings could inform fire service enforcement and operational practices, and may also hold useful lessons for the fire industry and the building and construction sector – for example, feeding into research on fire performance in buildings and fire engineering designs.
Given the continuing scale of the problem and its impact on community safety, isn’t it time for a rethink?
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