Arson and deliberate fire reduction position statement

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) recognises the impact that deliberate fire setting has on people; the communities in which they live and work; the local environment, and the economic vitality of the nation.

Through validated statistics, we also recognise that deliberate fires represent the largest proportion of fires attended by the UK Fire & Rescue Service as a whole.

NFCC is committed to taking a leading role in engaging key partners and the public to reduce the impact that arson has on people and the blight it causes within communities.

NFCC will contextualise the difference between serious arson and anti-social behaviour related deliberate fires, to ensure both are treated with appropriate gravity.

Arson and deliberate fire setting is a complex issue that varies significantly throughout the UK.

NFCC recognises that arson is not just a problem for FRSs and that a multi-agency approach can provide additional powers for local solutions. As such NFCC promotes the use of well-known multi agency approaches; namely the JESIP Joint decision model for supporting local response to problems, and the alignment and communication of demand informed services under the four ‘P’ components of the Government’s Serious and Organised Crime Strategy PREVENT – PROTECT – PREPARE – PURSUE.

NFCC will:

1. Have a strong and consistent public voice on the issue of arson and deliberate fire setting.
2. Provide a national Arson Reduction Strategy to assist in the development of local FRS strategies, encouraging Collaboration and Partnership Working.
3. Develop a good practice ‘Toolkit’ for all FRSs and partners to access, with the view of FRSs uploading areas of their own good practice, and for FRSs to assess the suitability of downloading and utilising elsewhere developed practices.
4. Encourage FRSs to commit resources, within their financial envelopes; to work with partners (particularly CDRPs, LSPs and Safer Partnerships) and other stakeholders to reduce arson and deliberate fire setting within their areas, particularly in developing local solutions for Early Intervention.
5. Develop and circulate an arson reduction metric to assist FRSs within their Safer Homes Visit / Person Centred Fire Risk Check.
6. Develop and circulate standardised Arson Reduction Advice leaflets, targeted at:

• Domestic premises – improving Home Safety
• Business premises – improving Business Safety
• Rural areas – improving Neighbourhoods and Environments

7. Work alongside Government and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, through appropriate channels and forums, to ensure that the impact of arson and deliberate fire-setting is recognised, and considered in wider agendas.