No.51 City Hall Arson Incident 1

(Inagi Newsletter February 15, 2016 issue)

On November 30th last year, a very shocking incident occurred when City Hall was set on fire. Around 2 PM, a man entered the first floor of City Hall on a motorcycle and caused a commotion, prompting staff to notify the police. The man spread a liquid resembling oil, which led to a call to the fire department, and he also activated the emergency bell of the indoor fire hydrant to alert the building of the fire hazard. When the police arrived, the man set the fire and brandished a weapon while attempting to steal a police car and escape, but he was arrested by the police on the premises.
In this incident, when the man sprayed the liquid, the staff gathered fire extinguishers in preparation for a possible arson. Even after the extinguishing agent was depleted, they continued to operate the indoor fire hydrant and sprayed water, which minimized the damage. They were able to almost suppress the fire within a few minutes until the fire brigade arrived from the neighboring fire station. Additionally, thanks to the appropriate evacuation guidance by the staff, there were no injuries among citizens or staff, which was a fortunate outcome amidst the misfortune.
We take pride in the fact that one of the factors behind these achievements is the presence of many current and former firefighters among our staff.
This incident appears to be an unjust demand against the legitimate operations of the city; however, for any reason, such despicable acts are never acceptable.
In response to the occurrence of this incident, the City has organized the Inagi City Hall Arson Incident Verification Committee to document the details of the incident and recovery activities, as well as to conduct a survey of the staff. Based on the analysis of these results, we have decided to strengthen future safety measures. The verification report of the committee has been published on the Inagi City Website.
By the way, the City Hall, which is the core of City Administration, must also be prepared to defend against such acts of violence. However, on the other hand, it is also an open facility that many citizens visit, making it a place where complete measures are difficult to implement.
Since immediately after the incident, we have deployed security guards for the time being. In the current fiscal year, we will maintain the core functions of City Administration through emergency responses and budget planning for the new fiscal year, aiming to create a City Hall that citizens can use with peace of mind.
Furthermore, this incident has given many staff members an unprecedented experience. Immediately after the incident, we conducted stress checks for all employees and are providing counseling and other support as needed. We will also strive to create an environment where staff can work with peace of mind.