[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 6] [Senate] [Pages 8488-8489] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]ARSON AWARENESS WEEK Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to remind the Senate and the American Public that this is Arson Awareness Week. It is that time once a year that we stop to assess how arson affects our lives. Each year hundreds of Americans die because of the arsonist's match. Mr. President, I am outraged at this and the countless firefighters who are killed every year attempting to extinguish intentionally set fires. Arsonists should be swiftly brought to justice, especially when firefighters lives are put on the line. When a fire is intentionally set in the center of a retail city district the damaged property becomes blight on the entire community. Like cancer, arson degrades the whole area. Jobs are lost, tax bases are depleted and, most importantly, people are often killed. As a member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, I have long been associated with the war against arson. [[Page 8489]] I have consistently supported stricter penalties for convicted arsonists. I have supported the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms that assist our fine state and local fire investigators. I have also supported the United States Fire Administration which provides valuable research grants and public education efforts geared toward controlling arson. Mr. President I remind all Americans that arson is still a serious problem, one we must continually work together to solve. ____________________