Lesson Plan - Fire Related Anti-Social Behaviour
LESSON PLAN - FIRE RELATED ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Slide 1 – Welcome and Introduction- Introduce self and staff present.
- Explain to learners that they should listen carefully to the presentation.
Slide 2 - Session Aims
Highlight/Discuss the session aims with the learners.
Slide 3 - What is Anti-Social Behaviour?
According to the law, Anti-Social Behaviour is:
"Acting in a manner that causes or is likely to cause alarm or distress."
Ask the learners to identify behaviour that can be classed as Anti-Social Behaviour or Fire related Anti-Social Behaviour.
This could be delivered as a brainstorm exercise.
Types of Anti-Social Behaviour
Suggested Answer:
- Verbal abuse
- Assault
- Criminal damage
- Vandalism
- Noise nuisance
- Graffiti
- Joyriding
- Kerb-Crawling
- Fly tipping
- Anti-Social drinking
- Misuse of fireworks
Suggested Answer:
• Malicious/Hoax Emergency Calls
• Deliberate Fire Setting
• Fire Hydrant Vandalism and misuse
• Attacks on Firefighters
• Deliberate actuation of fire alarms
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Slide 4 – Anti-Social Behaviour Legislation
Provide a brief overview of the legislation on this slide and highlight to learners that this legislation forms only part of other criminal Legislation.
Discuss the legislation covered on this slide.
Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, Section 85, False Alarms
A person who knowingly gives or causes to be given to a person acting on behalf of a relevant authority a false alarm of:
• fire;
• a road traffic accident; or
• an emergency of another kind,
A person guilty of an offence as outlined above may be subject:
• to a fine not exceeding £2,500
• to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months;
• or both.
Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005
A person who vandalises SFRS equipment or display acts of violence (AOV) towards SFRS personnel, commits an offence under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005.
This act also applies to violence towards:
• A Police Officer
• A Representative of the Scottish Ambulance Service
Anti-Social Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004
This act covers a wide range of Anti-Social Behaviour legislation.
In relation to the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982
Any person who lays or lights a fire in a public place so as to endanger any other person or give him reasonable cause for alarm or annoyance or so as to endanger any property shall be guilty of an offence and liable, on summary conviction, to a fine.
Slide 5 - Fire Related Anti-Social Behaviour
Discuss Fire Related Anti-Social Behaviour:
- Deliberate Actuation of Fire Alarms
- Malicious/Hoax Emergency Calls
- Deliberate Fire Setting
- Fire Hydrant Vandalism and misuse
- Attacks on Firefighters and Fire Equipment
Deliberate Actuation of Fire Alarms
- It puts people lives at risk because fire service resources need to attend each incident therefore resources may not be available for a real emergency.
- The economic impact due to evacuation of a building, factory, loss of production etc.
- People are put at risk for having to evacuate from a building unnecessarily.
- The cost on service and tax payers, availability of resources to attend, can be prosecuted under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.
- Hoax calls- costs are approximately £2,000 every time an appliance is mobilised whether this is to a real incident or a malicious one, it also reduces available resources from that particular area.
- Each year the SFRS attend between 11-12,000 fires involving refuse rubbish and 90% of these fires are due to deliberate ignition. At a cost of around 24 million pounds.
- Personal injury risk to anyone setting a fire.
- Putting others at risk.
- Placing extra demand on SFRS resources.
- Economic impact e.g. – repairs to buildings, vehicles etc.
- Putting people’s lives at risk if water supplies are affected for fire fighting purposes
- Personal injury from high pressure water and debris in the water
- It affects domestic water supplies – old people, mothers with babies etc.
- Economic costs to the Fire and Rescue Service attending and on occasions requesting Scottish Water to shut down the hydrant.
- The attacks- range from verbal abuse to physical and can be charged under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005.
- SFRS can suffer personnel injuries.
- Lives at risk if firefighter injured or fire appliance damaged and are unable to attend fire and rescue incidents.
If you are involved in any form of Fire Related Anti-Social Behaviour you will face penalties such as:
- Community Payback Orders
- Fines
- Jail
Youth Disaffection
The majority of fire related anti-social behaviour such as malicious calls, deliberate actuation of fire warning systems and attacks on firefighters is opportunistic and mainly carried out by children and young people – hence the SFRS focus upon youth education and diversionary work.
Victimisation
Repeated secondary fires in and around the same location can be an indicator of victimisation, harassment and/or hate crime and if unactioned can escalate resulting in a serious fire and /or fire casualties. (Provide local examples)
Public Disorder
Occasionally fire setting is part of wider public disorder for example the deliberate fire setting that took place during the London riots or more localised fire vandalism and hostility around the bonfire and firework period.
An increase in outdoor fires and fire hydrant misuse is experienced during warm and dry summer months. A particularly strong seasonal correlation has been established between rising levels of secondary fires and fire related Anti-Social Behaviour.
Other Contributory Factors
• Economic recession
• Poverty and deprivation
• Fly tipping – waste management offences
• Dereliction (including vacant or unoccupied premises)
• Lack of awareness of legislation and offences
• Low levels of identification and prosecution of persons involved
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Slide 6 Call Point Image - Deliberate Actuation of Fire Alarms
Discuss the Fire Alarm image with learners.
Highlight to learners that causing a false alarm by breaking the glass on a Fire Alarm as a joke is a criminal offence. This equipment is vital equipment to alert people of a real fire and must be used in an emergency only.
Explain the legislation covered by this type of offence:
Fire (Scotland) Act 2005
Section 85 False Alarms
A person who knowingly gives or causes to be given to a person acting on behalf of a relevant authority a false alarm of:
• fire;
• a road traffic accident; or
• an emergency of another kind,
A person guilty of an offence as outlined above may be subject:
• to a £2,500 fine
• to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months; or
• or both.
.Click for next slide
Slide 7 - Hoax Calls Cost Lives
Explain and Discuss:
The SFRS could be delayed in attending a real emergency if they are called out to a false alarm. It could be someone you know who is in danger! This is extremely serious as they may not be able to attend fire calls such as:
- House Fires
- Road Traffic Collisions
- Chemical Incidents
Explain that it is a serious offence to make a hoax call. It may lead to criminal proceedings being brought against any person charged with making a hoax call to the Emergency Services and they can be taken to court.
The penalties can be:
• 3 months imprisonment or
• £2,500 fine
• Or both
This is outlined in Section 85 False Alarms Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 above on slide 6.
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Slide 8 - Image Newspaper Clip – Hoax Callers
Discuss the newspaper article with learners.
Explain the consequences of these actions and the outcomes on the offender and how this could impact on them later on in life e.g. criminal conviction.
Highlight: that mobile phones can be blocked and will be removed these can also be used as evidence in court proceedings.
Discuss Recent article published in the STV news on 30th January 2015 “Three youths have been charged in connection with a blaze which destroyed a £25,000 play park in Inverness.
Click on the link below for information.
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Slide 9 - Deliberate Firesetting
Discuss the burning images on the slide of the wheelie bin and the car.
Explain that this incident can develop into a much more serious scene since the bin is situated against the property.
Explain the drain on SFRS and other agency resources of Deliberate Firesetting.
Note: The economic cost of every wheelie bin fire is approximately £2,000 some of the costs include:
- SFRS attending the scene
- Council Cleaning
- Replacement wheelie bin
• Grass (spread quickly, environmental damage, wildlife)
• Rubbish (aerosols, exploding, plastics, toxic fumes, clean-up costs)
• Cars (fuel, insurance costs, toxic fumes)
• Buildings (hazards, people’s lives, jobs lost, gas, electricity)
Highlight
The distress caused to people, worried about their land and property particularly if this also involves the theft of their car (i.e. family car and the impact it has on people’s lives.)
As this slide and slide 10 illustrates, a wheelie bin against the property would cause alarm to residents and put people’s lives at risk.
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Slide 10 - Newspaper Articles
Highlight the impact both in psychological and economical terms as the news articles above depict.
Discuss - the psychological and economic Impact of being the victim involved in such incidents.
Psychological Impact
• Fear
• Terror
• Emotional Stress
• Homeless
• Trapped
• Panic
Economic Impact
• Replacement of wheelie bins
• Building reparation costs
• Insurance Implications
• Possible rehoming of occupants
• SFRS turnout costs
• Involvement of other agencies e.g. Social Services, Police, Ambulance, Hospital,
• Wider impact if there is a fatality – investigation, undertaker, procurator fiscal, funeral costs etc.
Economic cost of a fire death costs approximately 2 million pounds in economic terms.
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Slide 11 - Image - Hydrant Abuse
Discuss the image and the impact that low water pressures can have in a fire situation.
Explain the process for crews attending open hydrants below.
- Operations Support and Control Communication
- Appliance Attendance
- Water Authority Referrals
- Open Hydrant Procedure Administration
- Complaints from neighbours
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Slide 12 - Preventative Measures
Discuss with learners the following preventative measures:
• CCTV
• Neighbourhood Watch
• Community Action Teams
• Police
• Scottish Fire and Rescue
• Crimestoppers
Explain that the preventative measures on this slide are for a wide range of aspects on community safety such as road safety, street safety, traffic management, transport safety and public reassurance.
The organisations on the next slide are from such organisations with a responsibility for the safety of community members, community infrastructure, border control and national security.
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Slide 13 - Who Benefits from CCTV Use? Pie Chart
Discuss where cameras can be found or located and who benefits from the use of CCTV as indicated on this slide.
The numbers on the pie segments are indicative of who benefits most e.g. 5 Police - 0.6 taxi ranks. The list is ranked in order of who benefits most from the use of CCTV.
Other organisations that benefit from the use of CCTV are as follows:
• Elected Members e.g. Councillors, MSPS
• HM Custom and Excise
• Transport Orgs rail and bus etc.
• Community Groups
• Other Public Bodies/Amenities Libraries, Health Boards, Museums, Galleries
• Road and Bridge Management Orgs.
• Housing Associations
• Environmental Protection Agencies
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Slide 14 - CCTV Camera Images
Explain that the camera locations are placed strategically for a range of matters including:
• Road safety
• Traffic management
• Public reassurance
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Slide 15 - Images CCTV Mobile Camera Vans
Discuss with learners that camera vans are widely used and easily deployable where needed most.
If required a camera van can follow and record anyone who may appear suspicious. The units will patrol areas as a visual deterrent and may also be on the lookout for a suspect known to have been involved in an incident.
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Slide 16 - CCTV Camera Images
Discuss the following examples of CCTV Cameras:
• Cameras out of site
• Mobile Cameras
• Redeployable Cameras
Explain to learners that cameras can be situated in areas out of site such as at the top of this building but still have the capability in identifying and recording street level issues.
Highlight again the fact that cameras can be everywhere some clearly visible and prominent and others out of site.
Discuss with learners that mobile cameras and redeployable cameras (bottom right Image) will be situated in areas where there may be arising issues or continuing anti-social and criminal incidents for a set period of time to monitor activity in that area.
This type of resource will be moved to areas where they are needed most.
Note: An event such as the Commonwealth Games used mobile cameras in vehicles and redeployable cameras to monitor the surrounding streets for the safety of the games events.
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Slide 17 - SFRS Fire Appliance
Discuss the position of the cameras installed on the SFRS appliance.
Inform them that there are at least 4 cameras installed (Crew Cab, Left and right side of appliance and 1 on the rear).
Highlight the recorded data is used to identify offenders and has been used as evidence in prosecutions.
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Slide 18 - CCTV Cameras in Scotland
Inform leaners that there are approximately 201,586 CCTV cameras in Scotland.
There are no rules governing the use of private CCTV.
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Slide 19 - Spit Kits
Explain below the purpose of the kits and when they are used:
The purpose of the kits is used to collect DNA data such as spit, blood and will be used in any incident where fire personnel have been subject to acts of violence.
Explain the process that when samples are collected they will be used as evidence in the prosecution of an offender.
Note: only use if appropriate or relevant to your SDA Area
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Slide 20 - Crimestoppers
Often young people or other members of the public volunteer information and this must be noted and passed to Police or other relevant enforcing authorities. Crimestoppers is a way of recording such incidents anonymously.
Explain: that any crime and any kind of anti-social behaviour can be reported via this means without anyone knowing about it.
Ask learners to note the number and use this to report fire related and any other form of anti-social behaviour and crimes, to help keep their communities safer.
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Slide 21 - SFRS Control Room
Highlight and discuss the extensive use of technology used in the control room.
At the control room they can:
• Trace Calls
• Receive Calls
• Mobilise appropriate resources
• Track Mobile Phones
• Live footage in areas can be linked directly into the control room via CCTV cameras
• Liaise directly with Police and other Emergency Services
• All calls received are recorded and can be used as evidence in prosecutions.
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Slide 22 - Control Room links to Technology
Discuss: the links shown on the slide between mobile phones and the control room and how they can find out the exact location of the mobile phone user.
Discuss how the Police traced the caller through his own mobile phone tracking app.
Emphasise the penalties involved:
- Phone number can be disabled
- Can be barred by all service providers
- Impose a large fine
Slide 23 - Any Questions
Leave this slide on screen while taking questions from learners.
Ask the learners for their feedback and their ideas, and create a discussion regarding what has been covered in the Anti-Social Behaviour session.
Ask learners to copy the web address for the SFRS for information and guidance on a whole range of fire safety matters.
Inform them that they can also access our Twitter and Facebook links from the website.
End of Session
on
Fire Related Anti-Social Behaviour