Contact:
Karl Newman, President
Darrin Sanger, Communications Director
NW Insurance Council
Phone: (206) 624-3330
Fax: (206) 624-1975
karl.newman@nwinsurance.org
darrin.sanger@nwinsurance.org
Arson escalates; you can help
put out the flames
SEATTLE
– Arson rose drastically in Washington last year.
According to the latest Washington Association of Sheriff’s and
Police Chiefs’ Uniform Crime Reporting Section
But, there is something you can do to
help put out the flames. The Arson Alarm Foundation, in conjunction
with the NW Insurance Council, contributes $10,000 each year to
individuals who aid in investigations that lead to an arrest or
conviction of a suspected arsonist. Last year, Arson Alarm Foundation
awarded eight people from around the Puget Sound area.
According to the National Fire Protection
Association, arsonists kill nearly 800 people, injure thousands
and damage more than $2 billion worth of property annually.
“We are taking action to stop the devastation,”
said Wes Bye, Arson Alarm President. “People who come forward
with information that leads to the arrest or conviction of an
arsonist are eligible for up to $10,000 in rewards this year.”
Arson can ravage a family or community with one strike
of a match. Arson is the second leading cause of residential fire
deaths and accounts for approximately 25 percent of all fires
in the United States, according to the Federal Emergency Management
Agency.
“Arson hurts everybody,
either directly or indirectly,” said Karl Newman, executive director
of the NW Insurance Council. “We’re committed to stopping arson
in communities across the state. We’re asking everyone to help
us save lives.”
If you have information about a suspected
arson, please call the Arson Alarm Hotline at 1-800-55-ARSON,
24 hours a day. Callers can remain anonymous.
Arson Alarm has awarded nearly $100,000
in the past 10 years. Assistance from citizens during that span,
has led to the arrest and/or conviction of many arsonists.
For a free brochure, Put the Heat
on Arson, call the NW Insurance Council at 800-664-4942, or
206-624-3330.
The Arson Alarm Foundation is a non-profit
organization that seeks to reduce loss of life and property by
increasing arson awareness.
NW Insurance Council is a nonprofit,
public-education organization funded by member insurance companies.
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