The Unaccounted Four - novella

A private investigator. A thirty year old case. A fatal structure fire. Four siblings are unaccounted for, only the fifth sibling knows the truth.

Private investigator, Alex Jackson, takes on a case that will take him from his South Florida office into the deep hills of West Virginia. There turns out to be much more to the “cheating spouse” case that he landed than what appears on the surface. The mundane case has deep connections to a thirty year old, cold case, arson fire. Only Alex Jackson can connect the dots and re-assemble the jagged lives of those affected.

Buy now from Amazon.com.

Aaron Johnson is prolific writer who has authored over 400 articles and blog posts. He started out, and continues to write, in the non-fiction genre. The Unaccounted Four is his first fictional work.

Arson Prevention at Houses of Worship

Today marks the start of the United States Fire Administration’s, National Arson Awareness Week.  The theme for 2017 is, “Arson Prevention at Houses of Worship”

Each year there is an average of 103 fires that affecting houses of worship.  The burning of a house of worship is a stressful event; it not only devastates the affected congregation, but wounds the entire community. Whether the motivation behind the arson is hate or reckless vandalism, a congregation views it as an attack on their beliefs and values.

Arson robs congregations of their valuable assets, lives and property. Arson destroys more than the buildings used as houses of worship; it can devastate a community, resulting in the decline of the neighborhood through increased insurance premiums, loss of business revenue, and a decrease in property values.

Houses of worship are particularly vulnerable to fire damage because they’re often unoccupied for long periods of time, and in many cases, in rural areas. Rural properties will generally sustain more severe damage – even with an accidental fire – since discovery and response time may be delayed.

Full resources and information for Arson Prevention in Houses of Worship can be found at, National Arson Awareness Week Resources 2017.

A real threat to houses of worship are those that exist from terrorism and terrorist activity. The Al-Qaidah publication, Rumiyah, Edition 5 outlines how to cause an incendiary attack.  The article outlines ways and means, and also provides a list of targets.  The below image and caption comes from the publication:

Caption reads: "1707 San Jacinto in Dallas, Texas - A popular Crusader gathering place waiting to be burned down"

Related posts:

• 15 Steps to Stop Church Arson
• Fire Safe Worship Space

15 Steps to Stop Church Arson

Annually, 1,300 church fires are reported, totaling more than $38 million in property loss.  Nearly 30% of church fires are the result of mechanical failures, or electrical issues.  This is most likely attributed to the fact that many churches tend to be older structures.  Of reported church fires 65% had no smoke detection systems, and 96% had no fire sprinkler protection.  However, the leading cause of church fires is arson.

To prevent church arson, having a plan is essential.  You can work with your local law enforcement, and fire prevention authorities to create a fire prevention/life safety plan for you church facility.  The first step in creating a plan is to assess your areas of vulnerability.  The most critical areas for church arson vulnerability are:

• Churches located in isolated or rural areas.
• Churches left unattended for extended periods of time.
• Churches with unsecured doors and/or uncovered windows leave weak points for foreced entry by intruders.
• The absence of an adequate fire/burglar alarm system provides a determined criminal with additional time for criminal activity.
• Heavy shrubs and outside vegetation, and/or the absence of sufficient perimeter lighting, provides security for criminals, not victims.

Here are 15 steps to reduce your churches vulnerability to arson:

1. Install perimeter floodlights outside the building.
2. Install an adequate fire and burglar alarm system.
3. Install fire sprinkler systems, and ensure there operability.
4. Solid wood or sheet metal faced doors provide more security than a hollow core wooden door.
5. Remove heavy vegetation and shrubs.
6. Participate in a formal Neighborhood Watch program.
7. Establish relationships with neighboring businesses. Ask them to watch your church during daily activities.
8. Educate personnel on how to properly deal with threats. Have a written plan available.
9. Document any strange or threatening activity or phone calls.
10. Avoid opening or disturbing suspicious packages or letters.  Contact your local law enforcement if these are received.
11. Have a member(s) of the congregation check on the church daily. Evaluate the need for security personnel, especially on nights and weekends.
12. Obtain a detailed description of any suspicious persons or vehicles noticed in or around your church facility.
13. Duplicate all documents, digital files, and records that are stored at the church.
14. Complete and maintain a comprehensive inventory or all furniture and equipment.  Record serial numbers, and the property value.  Frequently evaluate insurance coverage.
15. Remove all potential fire hazards from the church grounds (trash, lawn clippings, debris).  Properly store all combustible materials in a secured area/building.

Related post:
From Mall to Mega-Church

Top 10 Youth Firesetting Prevention Resources

"Prevent Youth Firesetting" is the theme for Arson Awareness Week 2012.  This week is sponsored by the USFA.  Their Arson Awareness Week page offers many resources for preventing youth firesetting, for public educators, and for juvenile firesetter intervention programs. 

Here is a list of the top 10 most useful resources for the prevention of youth firesetting:

1. NFPA 1035 : Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire and Life Safety Educator, Public Information Officer, and Juvenile Firesetter Intervention
2. Firesetting By Children and Adolescents
3. Factors Influencing Youth Firesetting Behavior
4. Myths and Facts About Children and Fire
5. Arson and Juveniles Responding to the Violence: Special Report
6. Straight Talk
7. StopFireSetting.com
8. Success for Teens
9. Texas School Fire Safety Curriculum Guides
10. Fire In Your Home (booklet)

Also, this Saturday, May 12 at 10:30 am, listen to our live broadcast on this topic!

Arson Awareness Week Theme for 2012

The United States Fire Administrated introduced its theme for the 2012 Arson Awareness Week, which will be observed May 6-12. The theme, Prevent Youth Firesetting.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, fires started by children playing accounted for an average of 56,300 fires with associated losses of 110 civilian deaths, 880 civilian injuries, and $286 million in direct property damage per year between 2005 - 2009.



The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program report states that juveniles (persons under age 18) accounted for roughly 46% of arson arrests in 2005-2010. In 2010, 40% of arson arrests were juveniles with 47.6 % of those children under 16 years of age.


"Fire in the hands of children is devastating - regardless of a child's age or motive," said Ernest Mitchell, Jr., U.S. Fire Administrator. "It is imperative that we do everything possible to prevent youth firesetting to protect the nation's most valuable resource, our children."

The official Prevent Youth Firesetting Arson Awareness Week site and resources is located at, www.usfa.fema.gov/aaw.


Posts related to Youth Firesetting:

• Ignition
• Juvenile Firesetter Intervention

FACAP

Last week I attended the 2009 Annual FACAP Seminar.  The neat thing about this seminar is that it brings together a diverse group of people/organizations.  It brings together, the fire service, private/public fire investigators, law enforcement, insurance executives, CPA, and attorneys.  These diverse groups are united over the common goal of arson prevention.  The workshops are all geared to a different facet of arson, investigative techniques, applicable codes/laws/standards/guidelines, legal issues, financial motives/concerns, and many others.  This is probably one of the top seminars I have attended this year, and look forward to attending next year!

If you are involved with arson and live in the state of Florida, I encourage you to check out and join the Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention (FACAP).