Arson Awareness Week - 5 key actions to reduce arson

This week is Arson Awareness Week, which highlights that almost half (47%) of all fires attended to by the fire services are started deliberately, sometimes with a tragic cost of lives, and with a bill for insurance claims of £1.2 billion

Last year 76,000 fires were as a result of arson – that’s over 200 a day across the UK – and vacant properties in particular are often targets.

VPS Security Services specialise in protecting properties that are temporarily vacant or unoccupied, and their inspectors advise property owners and facilities managers how to reduce the risks of arson. Here are their top 5 priorities:

1. Ensure combustible materials are removed before they become a potential target for arson.
2. Protect your property. Seek an assessment and advice on security, good lighting and CCTV; use a letterbox seal if the property is to be vacant for a while – measures that will act as deterrents to an arsonist.
3. There are specialist fire alert systems designed for temporarily empty sites which are easy to install, wireless and do not require building remodelling but still meet fire safety standards.
4. Adopt a rigorous inspection procedure when leaving a property vacant, ensuring: - External doors are locked Internal doors are closed - No unauthorised persons are left on the premises - No accumulation of waste or rubbish - Alarms are switched on
5. Take advice and responsibility and think of ways in which someone could start a fire inside or outside of your property. Act on any issues you find.

VPS Security Services are part of the VPS Group that specialise in protecting people, property and assets, by securing, maintaining and managing properties across a wide range of customer and industry sectors. Core building services cover the vacant, unoccupied and void property lifecycle from an initial risk assessment, to security, including guarding, monitoring, clearing, maintenance and also ‘security through occupation’, via their VPS property guardians service.