E 978 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 9, 1995

arson cases was 15–17 percent, but when you

got into the FAIR [Fair Access to Insurance

Requirement] plan market, they found

[arson cases were] upwards of 40–50 percent,’’

Gilman reported.

What is known are recent cases that illustrate the variety of arson-for-profit schemes,

such as:

A seven-person ring operating in Florida

for at least six years. Participants torched

houses, usually under the guise of renovation

or construction projects. The group also

burned cars and at least 15 insurance companies.

A New Jersey couple accused in February

of setting fire to their home after it languished on the real estate market for more

than a year.

Three San Francisco men were arrested in

March and accused of buying a house in 1990,

enhancing its value by presenting a fictitious lease-to-purchase agreement and filing

a claim after setting the house afire. Investigators said one of the men had been pursued since the late 1970s for suspected arson,

but this was the first time they’d gotten

enough evidence to charge him.

A Prince George’s County (Md.) man who

owns a topless bar recently was accused of

hiring others to set fire to the county’s only

other topless bar.

While large commercial arson cases and

homeowner arson-related fraud is fairly common, arson for profit crosses all socioeconomic groups. Investigators in Buffalo,

N.Y., report a rash of arson fires in apartments occupied by people on public assistance. Officials cited one woman who had

fires break out in five separate apartments

over three years. Relatives of hers experienced at least three fires.

In these cases, burned out welfare clients

move into public housing. They refuse to pay

any rent and eventually are evicted. Then

the apartment is torched, usually after all

belongings have been surreptitiously removed. The client moves into a hotel, which

is paid for, gets all her meals paid for, and

collects on claims for the ‘‘destroyed’’ belongings.

Typically, the ‘‘victim’’ can collect around

$3,000 plus pocketing what would have gone

to rent. Fire investigators believe that more

than a third of the city’s more than 300 arson

fires can be attributed to the scheme, which

they say is increasingly popular. In a couple

of blatant cases, they report welfare clients

related to each other had fires at the same

time.

Cases like these earn headlines or are part

of the anecdotes told among arson investigators. So, too, are tales of arson by juvenile or

serial offenders. Usually these cases aren’t

fraud-motivated arson. Residential fires, too,

are less likely to be suspected arson for profit.

‘‘It may be that the grease fire in the

kitchen may have been intentionally set,’’

Gilman said, ‘‘but it’s the local fire department and the local homeowner that maybe

they know, [so] I think there may be less of

a tendency to investigate residential fires

unless it’s glaringly evident—multiple ignition sights or other glaring evidence of

arson.’’

Gilman also suspects investigators are less

likely to look closely at residential fires because there’s not as much money involved as

in commercial arson fires. Again, he lamented, ‘‘There’s all too few facts in this

arena.’’

Still, he added, companies are investigating fires more than in the past.

‘‘The same intensity that is being addressed to insurance fraud is being found in

the arson investigation arena,’’ Gilman said.

Companies are creating and expanding special investigation units, using resources such

as property loss databases and public

records, trying to identify patterns and motives. They also go low-tech.

‘‘Some companies train arson dogs and

give them to local fire departments,’’ Gilman said, ‘‘Nationwide has its own arson dog

they use for their investigations, which I

think is kind of neat.’’

Passage of arson immunity laws has

helped, too. All 50 states and the District of

Columbia have some form of arson immunity

to protect insurers who give information to

law enforcement.

In some cases, the law’s scope is limited.

For example, 14 states do not allow reciprocity; law enforcement cannot share information with insurers. Most insurers support full

reciprocity in immunity laws and also would

like to see legislation protecting insurer-toinsurer information sharing.

And there is good news. The number of suspected arson fires has dropped for three

straight years and there was a reported 11

percent drop in arson cases in cities with

more than 1 million residents. However, the

cost of those fires was up in 1993 by more

than $350 million.

The National Arson Forum, a group of

companies and organizations concerned

about arson, developed Arson Awareness

Week (the first week of May) to bring the

cost of this crime to the attention of the

public. It also commemorates the end of the

Los Angeles fires set during the 1992 riots.

While the dollar costs are something that’s

borne by all of us, it’s also a good time to remember that some of us pay with our lives.

TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO

fHON. JOSEPH P. KENNEDY II OF MASSACHUSETTS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 9, 1995

Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts. Mr.

Speaker, I think it would be fitting for me to

share with my colleagues a poignant poem

written by Carrie B.H. Collins of Denver, CO.

Ms. Collins’ poem expresses the essence of

our great Nation, and will make an important

contribution to the record.

TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO

(By Carrie B.H. Collins)

Two hundred years ago

America started to grow

Her work was tedious and slow

And England had to go.

Two hundred years ago

They thought they had to fight

For freedom and for right

The Red Coats with their might.

Two hundreds years ago

We found the Indians here

They farmed and fished and sought

To hold their land they fought.

Two hundred years ago

The Brown folks lived here too

Their horses they did ride

And brand their cattle’s hides.

Two hundred years ago

Black folks were shackled and chained

Free labor they did give

Some died that others may live.

Two hundred years ago

They came from far and near

Some came because of fears

And others shedding tears.

Two hundred years ago

America wanted more

She looked from coast to coast

For help without a toast.

Two hundred years ago

Some peole had a dream

That one day it would seem

Like they could live as Kings.

Two hundred years ago

Men worked hard with the land

And some of them couldn’t stand

Hardships of their fellow-man.

Two hundred years ago

They came with all they had

High hopes, courage and faith

To live and grow in grace.

Two hundred years and here

America, stand up and cheer

For men have worked sincere

Thank God, move on without fear.

Two hundred years and here

America, stand up and cheer

Brave men have bled and died

For freedom side by side.

TRIBUTE TO GIRL SCOUT GOLD

AWARD RECIPIENT

f

HON. DAVID R. OBEY OF WISCONSIN

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 9, 1995

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, today I would like

to salute an outstanding young woman who

has been honored with the Girl Scouts of the

U.S.A. Gold Award by Birch Trails Girl Scout

Council in my home town of Wausau, WI. She

is Molly Olsen of Girl Scout Troop 291.

She was honored on March 11, 1995 for

earning the highest achievement award in Girl

Scouting. The Girl Scout Gold Award symbolizes outstanding accomplishments in the areas

of leadership, community service, career planning, and personal development.

Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., an organization

serving over 2.6 million girls, has awarded

more than 20,000 Girl Scout Gold Awards to

Senior Girl Scouts since the inception of the

program in 1980. To receive the award, a Girl

Scout must fulfill five requirements: earn four

interest project patches, earn the Career Exploration pin, earn the Senior Girl Scout Leadership Award project, earn the Senior Girl

Scout Challenge, and design and implement a

Girl Scout Gold Award project. A plan for fulfilling the requirements of the award is created

by the Senior Girl Scout and is carried out

through close cooperation between the girl

and an adult Girl Scout volunteer.

As a member of the Birch Trails Girl Scout

Council, Molly began working toward the Girl

Scout Gold Award in 1994. She completed her

project in the areas of Bat Education and

Preservation. She worked countless hours researching the bat population and finding donations to build eight bat houses at Camp Del

O’Claire. She also donated books about bats

to the camp library in hope that girls will become more educated about the species.

The earning of the Girl Scout Gold Award is

a major accomplishment for Molly Olsen, and

I believe she should receive the public recognition due her for this significant service to

her community and her country.