Title
To declare the week of May 3rd to May 9th, 2015 in Columbus, Ohio be Arson Prevention Week.
Body
WHEREAS, The theme of this year's Arson Awareness Week is Vehicle Arson; and
WHEREAS, The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that over the last ten years, there has been an average of 14,737 vehicle arsons reported, accounting for 26.5 percent of total arsons annually, and
WHEREAS, The United States Fire Administration cites that from 2008-2010, 14 percent of all fires were vehicle Fires, of these fires, 7 percent were intentionally set; and
WHEREAS, Two-thirds of intentionally set vehicle fires occur during nighttime hours (9 p.m.- 6 a.m.); and
WHEREAS, To help raise this issue as part of National Arson Awareness Week, the Columbus Division of Fire, Columbus City Schools and the Ohio Blue Ribbon Arson Committee sponsored an Arson Awareness Week Art Contest that challenges local middle and high school art students to design artwork about arson prevention; and
WHEREAS, The goal of "Arson Week" is to focus on the importance of the collaborations between fire, emergency services, law enforcement, insurance companies and the justice system to help reduce the occurrence of these destructive crimes; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby declare May 3-9, 2015 as Arson Awareness Week and encourages all citizens to learn more about the immense toll arson takes on our community, with steps they can take to help prevent it.