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Revised Guidelines for the Management of the Arson Reward Account

This letter serves to inform of the revised guidelines concerning the management of the Arson Reward Account that is funded by the F.A.I.R. Plan of Indiana.

First and foremost, a committee of this organization has been formed, consisting of one member from the insurance industry, one member of the Office of the State Fire Marshal and one IAAI board member. This committee will oversee the administration of the Hotline and Arson Reward Account.

Further, in an effort to standardize the way in which reward monies are paid out, the following guidelines have been adopted by the board of directors of the State chapter of the IAAI:

For any A Felony arson related violation, a reward of up to $5,000 may be paid out to any person providing information leading to arrest.

For any B Felony violation, a reward of up to $3,500 may be paid out to any person providing information leading to arrest.

For any C Felony violation, a reward of up to $1,000 may be paid out to any person providing information leading to arrest.

For any D Felony violation, a reward of up to $500 may be paid out to any person providing information leading to arrest.

The committee members will have the ability to adjust these amounts based upon extenuating circumstances, such as in the cases of the arrest of a serial arsonist, church arsonist, or hate crimes arsonist. In addition, in an effort to encourage and promote the confidential participation in the use of the Arson Hotline by individuals with critically important information, efforts have also been taken to ensure timely payout of rewards. In the past, rewards have been paid subsequent to conviction rather than arrest. From this point on, when an investigator notifies the Rewards Committee of an arrest in an arson case and makes recommendation for reward, he/she will provide the committee with incident reports regarding the event (crime) and the corresponding arrest(s). The committee will then review and discuss this recommendation and make a determination regarding reward payout and amount within two weeks. The reward will then be presented within thirty (30) days of notification by the recommending investigator.

The final change in the administration of the Arson Hotline and the Arson Rewards Account will be in regards to records keeping. As alluded to in the above paragraph, the committee will maintain a file comprised of all relevant incident/arrest reports regarding the circumstances of all reward disbursements.

Questions or concerns regarding the Arson Rewards Program? Please contact the IN-IAAI.