Youth Firesetter Program Introduction

It is the policy of the Two Rivers Fire Department to provide such a service to the parents or legal guardians of young firesetters who reside in the City of Two Rivers in the interest of decreasing the incidents of firesetting. Requests for services may come in a number of ways. The child's parent(s) or legal guardian, the school or the police may contact the fire department seeking assistance in dealing with a firesetting youth. Some youths will come to our attention through Social Services or the Juvenile Justice system, while other youths are directly referred because of a fire department response to a fire set by a youth.

Interviews are conducted to determine whether the firesetting behavior was accidental, curiosity or symptomatic of deeper problems. Educational intervention will be utilized for the accidental and curiosity firesetter. When firesetting behavior is determined to be indicative of more serious problems, referral to specialized health care professional agencies will be recommended.

The Two Rivers Fire Department Youth Firesetter Program is a multi-level approach to the education and/or treatment of identified juveniles involved in firesetting behaviors. The program is adaptable for pre-school ages through teens. Participation is voluntary except for those referred by the juvenile authorities. The program consists of five parts, each phase has a unique role in the process, yet all are interconnected.

The five parts are:

Identification

Identification is what brings the child to our attention. A juvenile firesetter may come to the attention of the fire service in a number of ways. The child's parent or caregiver, the school or the police may contact the fire service seeking assistance with a firesetting youth involved in an incident. Some juveniles will come to the attention of the fire service directly through a fire department's response to a fire set by a youth, or if a child has been linked to a fire through an investigation, they may be referred to the program by the juvenile court.

Education

Regardless of the reason for a child setting a fire, education is perhaps the most important aspect of the program and is almost always appropriate. Because children are growing and changing daily, they respond well to educational intervention strategies. The goal is to provide fire safety education to the family so that they develop fire competent behaviors and avoid participation in unsupervised fire starts.

Assessment

Once the juvenile firesetter has been identified to the fire service, contact with the parent or legal guardian is necessary to inform them about the department's program and offer assistance in dealing with their child's firesetting behavior. This is often accomplished during a brief telephone conversation with the parent(s). At this time the parent is interviewed to gain background information on the child and family history.

Referral

When a family's problems extend beyond the expertise of the fire service, a referral to a professional outside the firesetter program is necessary. Recurrent firesetters frequently experience significant psychological and social conflict and turmoil related to their firesetting activities. Core intervention services involve mental health agencies and professionals, parenting classes, the probation and juvenile justice system, or other appropriate services.

Follow-up

Success can be measured in many ways and no program can be successful without evaluation. Follow-up is an essential part of any juvenile firesetter program. Recidivism, or repeat behavior, can largely determine the success of the intervention. However, we must not believe that because the family has not called or that we have not responded to a fire in their home, that the intervention has been successful. This can only be accomplished by contacting the family. A follow-up questionnaire provides a means of evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention from the family's perspective.

Youth Firesetter Program Introduction

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