10-13-04 Special Called Meeting of the La Porte Fire Review Board Minutes

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Structure Fires in Religious and Funeral Properties This report contains infonnation about structures fires in churches, temples, mosques, religious education facilities, funeral parlors and related properties that were reported to local fire departments. In the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), these are identified by fixed property use codes 130-139. The number of specific code property use code choices has been reduced in Version 5.0 ofNFIRS, and some older codes have been combined. Due to these changes, data from 1999 must be analyzed separately. Because five-year annual averages are less likely to be skewed by random variation and the older data had some features not captured by NFIRS version 5.0, separate tables are provided with the most recent data (1999) and five-year annual averages for 1994-1998. The frequency of these fires and associated losses during 1999 and the average number of fires, casualties and direct property damage per year from 1994 through 1998 for the specific occupancies are shown in the following tables. In 1999, an estimated 2,000 structure fires in places of worship and funeral properties caused three civilian deaths, 26 civilian injuries, and $110,800,000 in direct property damage. Overall, the 2,000 fires accounted for 0.4% of the 523,600 structure fires reported during the year. During the five-year period of 1994-1998, an estimated average of 1,990 religious or funeral property fires caused two civilian deaths, 33 civilian injuries, and $57,400,000 in direct property damage per year. The 1,990 religious and funeral property fires accounted for 0.4% of the 567,100 structure fires reported per year during that time period. 1999 Structure Fires in Religious and Funeral Properties by Property Type Civilian Civilian Direct Occupancy Fires Deaths Injuries Property Damage Church, mosque, or chapel* 1,720 3 19 $93,300,000 Funeral parlor 90 0 0 $2,300,000 Unclassified or unknown-type 190 0 6 $15,300,000 religious or funeral property Total 2,000 3 25 $110,800,000 * The category of church, mosque or chapel now also includes church halls and religious education facilities. These three categories, listed separately in previous years, totaled an average of 1,730 fires per year during 1994-1998. Note: These are fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. Fires are rounded to the nearest ten, deaths and injuries to the nearest one, and direct property damage to the nearest hundred thousand dollars. Sums may not equal totals due to rounding errors. Damage has not been adjusted for inflation. Source: National estimates based on NFIRS and NFP A survey. Fires in Religious and Funeral Properties. 12/03 NFP A Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA