POUGHKEEPSIE – The U.S. Fire Administration has designated the week of May 5-11 as Arson Awareness Week. The goal of this year’s campaign is to provide residents with strategies to combat arson in their neighborhoods.
The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Fire & Arson Investigation Unit consists of several deputy sheriffs who are nationally certified fire investigators and a nationally certified ignitable liquid canine detection team. The members of this unit are assigned to the Dutchess County Fire Investigation Division, which works collaboratively together with fire departments and other law enforcement agencies to swiftly
and thoroughly investigate the origin and cause of fires throughout Dutchess County.
Sheriff Kirk Imperati said, “For several decades, our fire investigators have had a strong working relationship with the investigators from the Dutchess County Fire Investigation Division. This continued partnership benefits the fire service, law enforcement, and all of our communities. I want to thank the members of the Fire Investigation Division for their commitment to combat arson in Dutchess County. ”
The U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Incident Reporting System reports an estimated 16,800 intentionally set fires in residential buildings occur annually in the United States, resulting in an estimated 280 deaths, 775 injuries, and $593 million in property loss each year.
If you have any information pertaining to an arson, please contact the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office at 845-486-3800 or via the tipline at 845-605-CLUE or dcsotips@gmail.com.
