HTRP Fire as a Weapon Incidents Database Released

According to the Fire as a Weapon Incidents Database (FWID), there have been nearly a hundred instances where fire was a major or secondary component during a variety of domestic and international attacks in 2020. Until now, there has been no known attempt to track Fire as a Weapon (FaW) incidents, as national fire reporting systems typically classify all fire-related incidents as “arson.” The High Threat Response Program recognized not only the importance of this threat but also its specific characteristics that require special considerations during an integrated response. The research team has been actively tracking incidents in 2020 that fit the operational definition, and work is already underway to track older incidents to expand the database. The database explores incident elements such as location and target classification, and offers details about the suspect, fire modality, and additional weapons used. View the FWID.

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Leadership Team

Captain II John Delaney
Arlington County (VA) Fire Department
Program Manager

Officer Vincent Ruggero
Arlington County (VA) Police Department
Police Representative​

Firefighter/EMT Taylor Blunt
Arlington County (VA) Fire Department
Fire Representative​

Dr. Reed Smith
Arlington County (VA) Fire Department
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Corporal Ryan Williams
Arlington County (VA) Police Department
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Daneen Matheson
High Threat Response Program
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Eva Jernegan
High Threat Response Program
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