COMMITTEES
The Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention operates through the use of active Committees. These Committees are provided for under our Bylaws and are an important role to our success. All members are encouraged to join and participate in the various committees. In fact, your involvement and ideas are the only way FACAP will grow and improve.
Please ask any board member for additional information or to request to serve on a specific committee.
Education/Technical
Training and Education are a primary focus for FACAP. It is essential that those working in the profession are kept current of changes that affect the outcome of the investigation from the fire scene analysis to the courtroom.
The Education/Technical Committee is responsible for the many different training programs presented by the Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention during our regular scheduled membership meetings throughout the state in addition to our Annual Arson Seminar.
Such training activities have include manufactured housing and vehicle fire investigations, prosecutor’s seminars, cause & origin investigation through live burn demonstrations, juvenile fire-setters seminar and many others.
The Committee also reviews and brings to the members at those same meetings, any updates and training on new Technical developments that have taken place with regarding to fire and arson investigations.
Communications/Publicity
Guy E. Burnette (Sandy) of the law firm of Guy. E. Burnette. Jr., P.A., and FACAP Life Member provides local media with interview regarding FACAP’s Annual Seminar
What you are viewing right now is the most important role of the Communications/Publicity Committee’s function. FACAP.org.
In todays fast pace world of internet access, cell phones and text messaging, this committee’s job is a must. With the implementation of our new website, FACAP will be sending all meeting notices, meeting minutes and special notices to our membership using E-mail.
Also, this committee will actively be involved in maintaining our new “Members Only” section of the new website. That will include our chat room or bulletin board, photos and highlights of previous meetings and educational library.
We need photographers, writers and people who like to work on the internet helping develop our website.
Another important role of this committee is in getting FACAP’s message out to all those professionals in Florida who share in the common battle against Arson. Either through different publications, providing news interviews or attending community or professional meetings.
Fire Service & Law Enforcement
FACAP’s Fire Service & Law Enforcement Committee is responsible for year-round coordination of information which can assist or enhance fire service and law enforcement’s anti-arson efforts. This generally takes the form of the dissemination of anti-arson information to the various departments and agencies in Florida as well as assisting in the training provided by FACAP at General Membership meetings held around the state and at the annual Training Seminar held at the State Fire College.
Whether it’s providing education to the various Law Enforcement Agencies and Fire Services throughout our state regarding FACAP’s Arson Reward Program or implementing and overseeing the Scholarship Program for the Annual Seminar which allows different agencies and departments to send their members to the seminar without any cost, this committee is always on the go.
Another important role of FACAP’s Fire Service & Law Enforcement Committee is the selection and recognition of FACAP’s Arson Investigator of the Year Award. The crime of arson is one of the most difficult to bring to a jury. A successful Arson arrest and conviction is a demanding and time consuming job requiring dedication, training and professional skills on the part of the investigator involved. FACAP feels those attributes should be recognized so it created and sponsors an annual Arson Investigator of the Year Award.
FACAP’s 2007 Investigator of The Year, Det. Thomas Barron, Florida State Fire Marshal, Bureau of Fire & Arson Investigations
Insurance Subcommittee
The Insurance Committee’s is made of professional insurance representatives from major insurance carriers that provide auto, homeowners and commercial policies in Florida. Their primary objective is to identify insurance companies, industry organizations and others for the purpose of promoting FACAP, and provide continuing educational opportunities for insurance professionals as well as promote the benefits of corporate memberships and specific rewards for claims involving the crime of arson.
Legal
FACAP’s Legal Committee provides and important role to the membership in more than one aspect.
Foremost, the Legal Committee monitors recent trials involving arson, both criminal and civil, and brings any important events, rulings or case law, to the membership’s attention. This is done through the FACAP.org “Legal Updates” page.
Cases involving new and possible controversial rulings pertaining to expert witnesses, evidence and insurance policy contract issues, are high on their list of news to be passed on to our members. In addition to providing the actual case law or ruling, the Committee often provides a detailed explanation of the case involved and how the ruling may affect future cases our members may become involved in.
The Legal Committee also provides the Board and Membership, with legal advice regarding FACAP’s everyday business operations in addition to preparing and submitting on FACAP’s behalf, any Brief of Amicus Curiae which may be called for.
For more information regarding the legal committee contact:
Theron Guthrie at 386-258-3341 or email tguthrie@boehmbrown.com
Gina Smith at 850-894-4111 or email gsmith@butlerpappas.com
Legal Committee Members, Attorneys Michaela Scheihing and Theron Guthrie of the Law Firm of Boehm, Brown, et al, present training on Evidence Issues.
Legislative
FACAP’s Legislative Subcommittee monitors and reports on proposed legislation, administrative rule changes, or any other information relating to legislation coming from the Florida Insurance Council; the Office of Insurance Regulation (Department of Financial Services); Division of State Fire Marshal; the Division of Insurance Fraud; or any other State or Federal agencies which may impact the civil or criminal investigation and prevention of arson and insurance fraud.
This includes attending committee or sub-committee meetings, hearings, etc., and alerting FACAP members to critical bills, resolutions, and rule changes.
FACAP is not authorized to lobby, but its members may communicate as individuals or to alert their employers as to pertinent information which may positively or adversely affect the fight against arson and insurance fraud.
Membership
The Membership Committee provides and important role by maintaining the current membership database, the notice and collection of annual dues, and the review and reporting of the qualifications for all new membership applicants to FACAP’s Officers and Board for their approval as outlined in our Bylaws.
This is an important role, one which provides for FACAP’s growth, success and financial stability.
Rewards
The Rewards Committee is one of our most important and probably the one Committee with more of a direct impact than any other, with regard to our battle against arson.
The objectives of the committee is to encourage citizens to come forward with information enabling law enforcement to arrest and convict those individuals responsible for committing arson and helping insurance companies to deter the expensive crime of arson.
It does this through the implementation of FACAP’s three different Arson Reward Programs: The General Reward program, The Specific Reward Program and the Good Citizens Reward Program. All three programs require active participation of Committee Members to review and act upon the merits of any nomination by Law Enforcement or Fire Services personnel for an individual to receive a reward under the various programs.
It requires a review of three different members, none of which can belong to the same profession or discipline (i.e. O&C, Law Enforcement, and Insurance). This requires numerous members as we must also be very aware of conflict of interest issues that are involved in any given review.
Report an Arson:
1-877- NO-ARSON (662-7766)
Become a Member by Applying for Membership