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American Re Key Player In Massive National Effort To Improve Fire Investigation, Fight Arson Reinsurer aims to reduce nation's $2 billion estimated annual arson loss
To achieve its goals, the partnership has created interFIRE VR™, an innovative CD-ROM that uses virtual reality technology and provides easy access to standardized training for all members of the fire service, law enforcement and insurance industries. "interFIRE VR™ is a significant milestone in the nation's effort to reduce the tragedy of death, injury and loss caused by fire," said Edward J. Noonan, president/CEO, American Re. "American Re is proud to represent the insurance industry at this landmark moment." Improved fire investigations can lead to more successful prosecutions for arson, said Noonan. Annually, intentionally set fires -- arson and suspected arson -- account for nearly half a million or 25 percent of all U.S. fires. Only 2 percent of such fires ultimately result in convictions. Of the half a million fires believed to be intentionally set, just a third is confirmed as arson. The remaining two thirds are officially recorded as of either "suspicious" or "unknown" origin, according to NFPA. That is, investigators suspect arson, but can't prove it because evidence is lacking. Nevertheless, insurers often must settle claims for property destroyed by suspicious fires, noted Noonan. "Insurers rely on the skills of independent fire investigators to help make fair claims decisions," said Noonan. "The use of interFIRE VR™ can help investigators make more accurate fire-cause determinations, which is in the best interests of both insurers and policyholders." "It's a myth that arson typically destroys all the evidence and, therefore, is hard to solve," said Joe Toscano, vice president and fire investigation specialist, American Re. "With proper training, fire investigators can recognize the evidence of arson, and collect it in a way that increases the odds of getting a conviction." For the insurance industry, interFIRE VR™ offers information for companies in both the commercial and personal lines of business, including:
Failure to treat the scene of a fire as a potential crime scene is a leading obstacle to a comprehensive fire investigation, said Bob Corry, director and fire investigation specialist, American Re. interFIRE VR™ stresses a "team approach" where fire investigators are encouraged to work with local police. In the past, most firefighters, fire investigators, police officers and insurers were working as isolated groups. The result was lost information and lost opportunities to solve cases," added Corry. "Our goal is to level the playing field by providing a comprehensive set of guidelines all can work from." The program also identifies state and federal agencies that can offer additional assistance.
Arson only part of fire problem Nationally, fire kills approximately 4,000 people per year, injures another 20,000-25,000 and destroys $8-12 billion worth of property. "Better investigations will mean that fewer fires go unsolved," said Corry, "as well as help develop better fire safety guidelines for all Americans." Historically, U.S. fire death rates have led most of the industrialized West. Between 1993 and 1995, the United States' fire death rate was 18.7 per million, higher than such countries as Canada (15), the United Kingdom (13.6), Germany (10.4), Spain (8.6) and Switzerland (5.5). Hungary and Finland -- at 32.9 and 24.6 per million, respectively -- are among the very few industrialized countries with worse fire death rates than the United States, and the only ones identified in a September 1998 report issued by the London-based World Fire Statistics Centre. "As with traffic accidents, we've gotten used to a certain amount of carnage," said Corry. "So the loss of life and property due to fire is not perceived as a significant problem."
A step-by-step guide interFIRE VR™ is the first-ever CD-ROM to use photo-realistic virtual reality technology for fire investigation training purposes. Topics covered include:
"Every issue covered by interFIRE VR™ is one that an investigator will encounter in the real world," said Toscano. "interFIRE VR™ provides an opportunity for both novices and seasoned professionals to fine-tune their investigative skills."
U.S. firefighters hard to reach In the past, large-scale training of fire personnel has been difficult because of their sheer numbers and wide dispersion. In 1997, there were 30,000 U.S. fire departments with 1.1 million firefighters -- 74 percent of whom were volunteers. Both career and volunteer forces often lack resources to acquire first-hand instruction. One organization that communicates regularly with many of the nation's fire and rescue personnel is VFIS, formerly known as Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services, Inc. According to Louis Klein, president, "VFIS insures more than 12,000 emergency service organizations across the country. For 30 years, we have been providing our clients with a variety of training and educational materials and programs, and we are constantly looking for new ways to provide these much-needed services. We believe interFIRE VR™ is a particularly valuable resource and are planning to make it available to our clients nationwide." interFIRE VR™ is available for a nominal shipping fee to U.S. fire and police departments, prosecutors, insurance organizations and others with a professional interest in fire investigation. In an effort to reduce deaths and property loss, the partnership plans to get interFIRE VR™ into the hands of every U.S. fire investigator by 2000. interFIRE VR™ is supported by a website (www.interfire.org) which provides ongoing educational information related to proper fire investigation. To order a copy of interFIRE VR™, visit the website or call toll free: 1-877-interfire. Both the interFIRE VR™ CD-ROM and its accompanying website were produced by Stonehouse Media, Inc. of Princeton, N.J. interFIRE VR™ is Windows 95 or 98 compatible. To use interFIRE VR™, a 200 Mhz or better system is recommended. Significant additional contributions were made by the National Institute of Standards & Technology, the law firm of Butler, Burnette and Pappas, the Congressional Fire Services Institute, the International Association of Arson Investigators, Massachusetts State Police, and numerous fire service, law enforcement and judicial personnel in Tallahassee, Fla., Rehoboth Beach, Del., and Talleyville, Del. American Re-Insurance Company, a member of the Munich Re Group, is one of the largest writers of property and casualty reinsurance in the United States. Through its affiliates, it provides reinsurance, insurance and related services to insurance companies, other large businesses, government agencies, pools and other self-insurers in the United States and abroad. ATF is a law enforcement organization within the U.S. Department of the Treasury with unique responsibilities dedicated to reducing violent crime, collecting revenue and protecting the public. ATF enforces federal laws and regulations relating to alcohol, tobacco, firearms, explosives and arson, by working directly and in cooperation with state, municipal, law enforcement and fie service organizations. The National Fire Protection Association has led the way to fire safety since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the burden of fire on the quality of life by advocating scientifically based consensus codes and standards, research, and education for fire and related safety issues. The association publishes a wide variety of educational and safety materials, including the National Fire Codes®, and is developer of the Risk Watch™ injury prevention curriculum and the Learn Not to Burn® fire safety curriculum. NFPA is headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA. USFA, a directorate within the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is the national leader in fire safety and prevention, supporting the efforts of local communities to reduce the number of fires and fire deaths. # # # Click here to review other items in the interFIRE VR™ press kit.
 Mark
E. Dixon
757 Upper Gulph Road
Wayne, PA 19087-2022
USA
610-971-0649
dixon_mark@verizon.net
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Princeton, N.J., May 7, 1999 --
A national
effort to improve fire investigation skills, increase successful arson
prosecutions -- and, thereby, reduce the estimated $2 billion that U.S. insurers
and policy holders pay annually for arson damage -- is being launched by American
Re-Insurance Company, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF),
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire
Administration (USFA).