The theme of this year’s National Arson Awareness Week (AAW) is Arson Prevention at Houses of Worship. Between 1996 and 2015, about half of all reported fire incidents at houses of worship were arson, which makes this very important for them and their communities.

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has available numerous resources focusing on this topic to help communities and faith leaders address this problem:

• Examples of quick and inexpensive interior and exterior security practices;
• Community awareness tools and outreach materials;
• Incident spotlights from a variety of states;
• Reports detailing the problem and resources to help manage it.

USFA has a collection of brochures, handouts, and posters to spread the word about arson prevention, and suggest hosting a Safety Day and organizing an Arson Watch Program to get congregations and communities involved.