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Protecting Houses of Worship Against Arson

Arson robs congregations of 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.

The fire service can help communities reduce the occurrence of arson and reduce its devastating effect by making residents aware of the following measures to safeguard their church, mosque, synagogue, temple or chapel.

a church illuminated in the evening

Illuminate exterior and entrances

Install lights, covering all sides of the building. Motion-activated lighting, which is inexpensive, should be placed near the entrances. Interior lights on timers give the illusion that a house of worship is occupied.

synagogue with no vegetation around it

Clear obstructions

Trim or remove shrubbery that blocks the view of the building from the street. During the growing season, bushes and trees may need to be trimmed frequently.

fire sprinkler head

Install smoke alarms and a fire sprinkler system

The combination of working smoke alarms and home fire sprinklers reduces the likelihood of death from fire by more than 82%. The most effective fire loss prevention and reduction measure for both life and property is the installation and maintenance of fire sprinklers.

church windows

Keep doors and windows locked

Equip external doors with code-compliant hardware and secure them when the facility isn't occupied. A simple locked door could be the deterrent that saves your congregation from experiencing arson.

The hardware used to lock windows can sometimes be easily forced open using a credit card or other tool. The best type of window hardware has spring-loaded bolts that insert through the window frame into the wall frame.

Limit and track which members of the congregation have keys and alarm codes. Set up a schedule to routinely change the locks.

rotted wood by trash cans

Clean house

Oftentimes, arson is a crime of opportunity. Remove excess vegetation and piles of leaves. Clean around your religious building and outbuildings, removing unused and unneeded paper, trash, cleaning supplies, partial cans of paint, and other materials that could become kindling and fuel a fire for an arsonist.

neighborhood watch sign

Establish a community arson watch program

Follow the successful Neighborhood Watch 5-step program model provided here.

  • Step 1: Analyze the specific, local problem and collect related data.
  • Step 2: Build a partnership between fire and emergency services, the police and other law enforcement agencies, and the residents.
  • Step 3: Assess the needs of your house of worship and determine which problems to focus on and the methods used to address them.
  • Step 4: Train a dynamic group of volunteers, led by organized and motivated leaders.
  • Step 5: Develop meaningful projects specific to the identified problem.

Help congregations plan a safety day

Work with local houses of worship to plan a Fire Safety Day. Here are some ideas for activities to include:

Fire safety visit

Teach the congregation about:

  • Use of fire extinguishers.
  • Candle use in services and candle alternatives, such as flameless candles.
  • Talk about the importance of an automatic fire sprinkler system.

Inspect for:

  • 2 ways out of every room, e.g., devotion area, study room, kitchen, library, etc.
  • A posted and visible fire escape plan.
  • Placement of smoke alarms, including alert devices for people who are hard of hearing.
  • Cracked or damaged electrical cords and overloaded extension cords or wall outlets.
  • Child locks on cabinets used to store dangerous items, such as poisons, cleaners, matches and lighters.
  • Deadbolt locks that can be easily unlocked by all members of the congregation, especially children and people with disabilities, from the inside without a key.

Security check

Encourage the congregation to work with their local police department to identify security weaknesses.

Clean-up day

Many of the risks, hazards and safety concerns identified during fire safety and security activities can be fixed during a clean-up day at a house of worship. Specific tasks include: trimming trees and shrubbery, cleaning windows, and removing all possible items that can start a fire, like flammable liquids, things that can burn and trash.