From the Publishers Desk

From the Publishers Desk

USFA Conference Themed to Arson

We don’t get around in fire service circles as much as our editors do, but we do get around a little and, of course, we hear a lot. What we hear about the United States Fire Administration and the National Fire Academy is all to the good.

You can read about one aspect of the USFA in this issue, a report on the fifth annual conference which was directed to Arson—America’s Malignant Crime. The conference drew experts from around the nation—experts who were not just theorists but fighters who are in the thick of the battle against those who would destroy our lives, our property and even our economy, when you figure in the costs of fire suppression, loss of wages and taxes among other items.

This conference was specifically organized to “assist public and private organizations from communities across the nation in identifying effective antiarson ideas and programs.” It was the first national conference on arson ever held and was attended by over 1000 persons who went home well armed with a knowledge of effective anti-arson techniques.

They were also armed with the knowledge that the federal government has begun to play a much more active role in combatting our malignant crime.

Witness to this was a 10-man panel that reviewed federal arson programs. Panelists came from such varied agencies as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration and the Federal Insurance Administration. All 10 agencies are now actively engaged in the war against arson, and each panelist told what his agency was doing to help those out in the Held. Four or five years ago, incidentally, not one of these panelists could have said a word about arson— their agencies weren’t involved with the problem.

According to our editors, this fifth annual conference was conducted on a grand scale; 75 people participated in the program, each with a message.

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