Kingston, NY – Ulster County Executive Mike Hein appointed Ulster County Fire Coordinator Charlie Mutz, Shawangunk Police Chief Frank Petron, Bloomington Fire Company’s Kevin Keller, and CEO of Reis Insurance Paul Casciaro to the Ulster County Arson Task Force Board.  The County Executive also appointed Wayne Freer, an Ulster County Fire Coordinator and SUNY Ulster’s Director of Safety and Security to chair the Arson Task Force Board. The District Attorney is an ex-officio member of this Board. “It is essential that the public and private sectors join together to combat arson.  Fire agencies throughout Ulster County need to detect arson when it is committed, law enforcement agencies must apprehend those responsible, the criminal justice system must punish arsonists as well as work to deter would-be arsonists, and the private sector is needed to encourage these activities,” explained County Executive Hein. “The newly appointed members will bring a wealth of expertise to the Ulster County Arson Task Force Board.” New York State General Municipal Law requires that each county create an an Arson Task Force Board, which must implement a plan to effectively combat the activities of arsonists. The purpose of this enactment is to ensure that local governments throughout the State take steps to coordinate the activities of existing agencies involved in the investigation and prosecution of arson.   Ulster County Arson Task Force Board Members serve 3 year terms, beginning on July 1, 2012 and ending on June 30, 2015.