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90_HR0486
LRB9012202JMmb
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Thousands of fires destroy residential and
3 commercial property in Illinois and place a serious threat to
4 the life and safety of individuals; and
5 WHEREAS, It is truly unfortunate that hundreds of fires
6 are deliberately set by arsonists across the State; and
7 WHEREAS, The State Fire Marshal's Office is responsible
8 for investigating suspicious fires and maintains a staff of
9 only nineteen to conduct such investigations in the field;
10 and
11 WHEREAS, The response time it takes to investigate a
12 suspicious fire is an important factor in preserving critical
13 evidence that may help determine whether a fire was set by an
14 arsonist; and
15 WHEREAS, It was recently reported that many arson cases
16 are not investigated in a timely and effective manner by the
17 State Fire Marshal's Office and rarely do the arson findings
18 lead to criminal charges; and
19 WHEREAS, The House Public Safety Appropriations Committee
20 recently reviewed the operations of the State Fire Marshal's
21 Office and revealed that the agency maintains an overtime
22 policy that awards time off for compensation instead of
23 payment, which could lead to less field time for
24 investigations; and
25 WHEREAS, The State Fire Marshal issued a protocol
26 statement to the 1,209 local fire departments in Illinois
27 that outlines the types of fires that would get priority for
28 arson investigations; therefore be it
29 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
30 NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the
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1 House directs the Auditor General to conduct a management
2 audit of the State Fire Marshal's role in fire
3 investigations, including a review of the timeliness of the
4 Fire Marshal's investigations and policy or protocol
5 statements and the agency's utilization of overtime
6 compensation; and be it further
7 RESOLVED, That the State Fire Marshal's Office and any
8 other State or other entities having information relevant to
9 this audit shall cooperate fully and promptly with the
10 Auditor General in the conduct of this audit; and be it
11 further
12 RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as
13 soon as possible and report his findings and recommendations
14 upon completion in accordance with the provisions of the
15 Illinois State Auditing Act; and be it further
16 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
17 presented to the Auditor General and the State Fire Marshal.