SLS 16RS-2325 ORIGINAL 2016 Regular Session SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 99 BY SENATOR THOMPSON LEGIS POWERS/FUNCTIONS. Designates May 1 - 7, 2016, as "Arson Awareness Week" in the state of Louisiana. 1 A RESOLUTION 2 To designate May 1 through 7, 2016, as "Arson Awareness Week" in the state of Louisiana. 3 WHEREAS, the U.S. Fire Administration, along with several partner agencies, has 4 declared May 1 through 7, 2016, as National Arson Awareness Week, and this year, the 5 focused theme of the week is "Prevent Wildfire Arson - Spread the Facts Not the Fire"; and 6 WHEREAS, wildfire arson is the willful, malicious, intentional or reckless burning 7 of property that takes place on underdeveloped wildland or uncultivated land comprised of 8 forest, brush or grassland; and 9 WHEREAS, according to the Department of Interior's Wildland Fire Management 10 Information System, during the five-year period from 2010 to 2014, twenty-three percent 11 of fires reported were arson; and 12 WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Forest Service, individual arson fires can cause 13 damages to resources and communities totaling over a hundred million dollars; and 14 WHEREAS, according to the National Fire Protection Association during the 2007 15 to 2011 time period, twenty percent of reported brush, grass or forest fires were intentionally 16 set; and 17 WHEREAS, the National Association of State Foresters cites that more than 18 seventy-two thousand U.S. communities are now at risk from wildfire within the wildland Page 1 of 2 SR NO. 99 SLS 16RS-2325 ORIGINAL 1 urban interface; and 2 WHEREAS, the week of May 1 through 7, 2016, is designated Arson Awareness 3 Week both at a national level and in Louisiana to focus attention on the prevention of 4 wildfire arson, particularly in the wildland urban interface. 5 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana 6 does hereby designate May 1 through 7, 2016, as Arson Awareness Week in the state of 7 Louisiana and does hereby pay special tribute to all fire and law enforcement investigative 8 agencies for their dedicated and tireless service to the citizens of Louisiana. 9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Chief 10 H. "Butch" Browning and Deputy Chief Brant L. Thompson of the Louisiana Office of State 11 Fire Marshal. The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Dawn Romero Watson. DIGEST SR 99 Original 2016 Regular Session Thompson Designates May 1 through 7, 2016, as Arson Awareness Week in the state of Louisiana. Page 2 of 2