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Understanding The Enemy: Profiles and Motivations of an Arsonist
Kendra Weikman | FireLink.com - For sources, see Editor's note.
Loss of life and property are some of the unfortunate outcomes of arson, and due to the serious nature of it, arson carries severe penalties and punishments. Modern American arson law varies slightly from state to state, but most typically classify arson by degrees: first degree arson involves fires in homes, schools, or churches; second degree arson involves unoccupied structures and vehicles; and third degree arson involves personal property.
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If the arson results in the death of an individual, arsonists may also face murder charges, resulting in a sentence of life in prison or even the death penalty.
Nationally, 62,807 arson offences were reported in 2008 with an average dollar loss of $16,015 per offense.
With so many arsonists out there, what can we in the fire service industry do to spot potential threats? This article presents behavior profiles and motivations for the different categories arson can fall under.
Streetking
about 1 month ago
36 comments
what ceases to amaze me is how firefighters, who willfully took all the training necessary, who willfully put their lives on the line, who willfully took an oath to save and protect as much as possible from fire, can set fires, endangering the lives of the people who they swore to protect, and property, as well as putting their fellow brothers in harms way, i really dont get it, what makes them go from being a person to go and put their lives on the line to save people, to setting fires which endanger them, i dont get it, i just dont get it