Jimmy Carter

“ This agency now coordinates America's disaster preparedness and response efforts, and, within it, the fire service still stands as the First Responder, with the capability and mission to contain, mitigate or resolve emergencies.
Yet the Federal government alone cannot reduce America's fire losses. The public and private sector must do their part. Together, working as a team, we can lessen the unnecessary, life-threatening destruction caused by fire. ”

“ I encourage the fire service, police, prosecutors, the insurance industry and governmental agencies to continue to work together to improve arson prevention and control measures. Arson remains America's fastest growing crime and we need total commitment to combat it. ”

“ Fire causes more loss of life and property in the United States than all other natural catastrophes combined. Fire is the second most frequent cause of accidental death in the home.
The human costs of fire are borne disproportionately by career and volunteer firefighters. Their profession is one of America's most hazardous.
Each year approximately 8,500 Americans die; another 300,000 are injured in fires and $5 billion worth of property is destroyed. America loses more to fire than most other countries in the industrialized world. ”