About Us

Here's what we are doing to stop arson and how you can help!

The Arson Alarm Foundation seeks to increase the public’s awareness of arson and the risks it presents to communities throughout the State of Washington. It strives to encourage community members to come together and reduce the number of arson fires that occur, as well as, to assist in convicting those that have committed the crime. The foundation provides support to those dedicated to reducing fires through education, research, legislation and legal enforcement.

The effort put forth today to reach our goals would not have been possible without the support provided from our founding fathers. While many people and agencies played a valuable role in creating the Arson Alarm Foundation, special recognition must go to the Seattle Fire Department. They were diligent in their efforts to find support to meet the ever increasing needs of those called to investigate and solve these deadly and costly crimes. Together with representatives from other agencies and the insurance industry the direction was charted and in 1977 the concept of a foundation was introduced and the work it would strive to achieve was defined.  In January of 1978, the effort was formalized under the name of Arson Alarm Foundation as a non-profit entity with the following goals:
 

  • The reduction of loss by arson through public awareness, advertising and communication
  • The promotion of social science research through statistical and behavioral analysis
  • The encouragement of coordinated efforts between private and public agencies through cooperation and centralization, where appropriate

The Foundation continues to work diligently to promote the award program and increase awareness through the use of billboards, bus signs and with public service announcements on both radio and television.

An arson hot-line which was established years ago continues to operate, bringing in valuable tips that assist investigators in their battle against arson. Invaluable support continues to be provided by the Northwest Insurance Council, who have, and continue to fund the awards program.

The Arson Alarm Foundation and its dedicated partners recognize the need for continued efforts to be made in this battle against ARSON, We are dedicated to continuing the work of our founding fathers. We encourage you to join us as we strive to provide education, increase awareness, identify resources, offer support, and expand our partnerships, all with a determined drive to reduce the number of arson fires in our state.