Nick Markowitz's Fire & Electrical Safety Section

By Nick Markowitz

In the late 1960s, during the many urban riots, "Burn Baby Burn" was heard as rioters burned, robbed and destroyed neighborhoods, usually for no good reason... just Burn Baby Burn.

Many said it was the black community retaliating for the oppression that they had suffered for so long. Some said it was in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King by a white man named James Earl Ray. But, in the end, it was concluded that it was a handful of hooligans from Detroit and other areas that went city to city stirring up trouble for no good reason.

This leads us to the latest in arson story's in Somerset, Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, here in beautiful Southwestern Pennsylvania. Here, five separate churches, all located in rural areas, have been destroyed by fire and vandalism for no apparent reason. Again, rumors fly.

For example, according to one rumor, it is the work of satanic cultists; another claims that it is the work of evil doers ushering in the new millennium when evil is expected to overcome good. Another theory is that it is "good old boys" out for some fun, while still another says that it is someone in the security alarm industry trying to sell more security systems. Last but not least, someone has even suggested that it is the church members themselves trying to collect insurance money.

Just as mysteriously as these fires began, which was about the beginning of the new year, all of this ended the day before lent...a coincidence? The citizens of Southwestern Pennsylvania, as well as the authorities, hope that we have seen the last of the church burnings. Federal and state Arson Strike Teams are busy at this time tracking down leads in an effort to arrest those involved. With a little luck and a whole lot of police work, they may very well catch the villains.

Arson is a crime that all of us pay for in increased Insurance rates, by as much as 25 to 35 percent. The fact is, arson represents a US$5 Billion a year loss to the economy that not only takes lives and ruins families, but can devestate entire communities. As these congregations rebuild their churches and their faith, let us hope that those responsible for these fires are swiftly brought to justice.

For an inside look at the world of an arsonist, please read THE DEADLY GAME OF ARSON, in section five of this issue. In this story you will learn what goes through the mind of an arsonist; what to do if you see a suspicious character or an open, abandoned building; and what to look for and do if you witness someone start a fire.

There are many other informative stories and news clips in this issue that you will want to read. Take for example, CYBER SOCIAL ENGINEERING where Al Colombo, Editor, tells of the various potential dangers that lurk around corners on the information super highway, also called the Internet. In addition, Steve Macko, Crime Analyst, Emergency Response and Research Institute, Chicago, brings to the table a special report on the U.S. travel industry in his story INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME RING TARGETS U.S. TRAVEL INDUSTRY.

Stay Tuned...
--Nick Markowitz

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