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Contact:
Karl Newman, President
Darrin Sanger, Communications Director
NW Insurance Council
Phone: (800) 664-4942/(206) 624-3330
Fax: (206) 624-1975
karl.newman@nwinsurance.org
darrin.sanger@nwinsurance.org
$10,000 award fund available to citizens who help law
enforcement catch arsonists
SEATTLE -You could be eligible for an award of up to $10,000 by
helping local authorities put arsonists behind bars. Arson is a
deadly and costly crime, killing hundreds of people each year and
destroying hundreds of millions of dollars in property.
You can help.
"Arsonists hurt all of us by destroying lives and property and
by driving up insurance rates," said Karl Newman, NW Insurance Council
president. "The Arson Awards program acknowledges citizens who provide
law enforcement with key information that helps them catch arsonists."
Nationally, arson kills more than 300 people each year and injures
thousands. Firefighters are needlessly put at risk. More than 31,000
deliberately set fires destroyed $777 million in insured property
in 2005, including factories, residential buildings, churches and
motor vehicles, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
Studies show nearly half of all arson fires set in the U.S. involve
juveniles under the age of 18. Vandalism is the leading cause of
deliberately set fires. Between 20 and 25 percent of arson fires
are drug related. FBI statistics indicate only 17 percent of all
arson offenses result in arrests.
NW Insurance Council and Arson Alarm Foundation offer an annual
$10,000 Arson Award Fund for Washington residents who provide tips
to authorities that result in the arrest or conviction of arsonists.
If you have information about an arson or suspicious fire, call
the Arson Hotline at 800-55-ARSON or contact your local authorities.
You may be eligible for an award.
The Arson Alarm Foundation has awarded more than $100,000 to Washington
citizens over the past decade.
For more information about arson prevention, visit http://www.nwinsurance.org.
NW Insurance Council is a nonprofit, public-education organization
funded by member insurance companies in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
Arson Alarm Foundation is a nonprofit organization that seeks
to reduce loss of life and property by increasing arson awareness.
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