Great
Lakes Juvenile Fire Intervention Program - Michigan
Maranda speaks on Juvenile Fire Intervention Programs
-WOTV 4 Michigan
River
Valley Juvenile Fire Intervention Program - Merrimac, MA
Arson is the number
one crime committed by juveniles, The US
Fire Administration reports that one third of all set fires are begun
by children, one third of all children that are killed in fires have set
the fires themselves, and fire is the leading cause of deaths in
the home for children under the age of five in the U.S.
According to the
National Fire Protection Association, children playing with fire is the
fourth leading cause of fires that kill. Arson is the second leading cause
of residential fire deaths and accounts for approximately 25% of all fires
in the United States. Juvenile arson accounts for over 50% of arson
arrests, the highest FBI indexed crime involving juveniles. Hundreds are
seriously burned or injured each year when children who are curious start
fires.
Children
and Fire
Children are fascinated by fire; the
warm glow of a fireplace, flames flickering in a camp fire, blowing out
birthday candles, watching the repetitive habit of an adult lighting up
a cigarette. Children as young as 2 years may show an interest in fire.
With this natural fascination and curiosity comes the task for parents/caregivers
to take fire safety precautions with younger children and to educate and
train older children in fire safety.
Whether a child is merely curious about
fire, making a cry for help or engaging in delinquent behavior, children
playing with fire is extremely dangerous. Children can be helped. They
must received the right kind of help though. It is not a phase that they
will grow out of, it is not a matter of boys being boys. Yelling at them,
burning their fingers or other such methods will not be effective. The
reason a child plays with fire must be addressed in order to successfully
address the problem. Each child must be individually assessed and receive
a treatment program that may contain one or more of the following components:
educational, psychological, and community service.
What
is Fireplay?
Fireplay happens when a child, curious
and unsupervised, plays with matches, lighters, an open flame or a hot
stove. This playing accidentally starts a fire that may result in death
injury and/or property damage.
The most common
circumstances that lead children to play with fire include:
-
Matches, lighters or open flames within
easy reach
-
Lack of parental or adult supervision
-
Natural curiosity about fire and a desire
to experiment
-
Boredom and searching for something to
play with
-
Previous fire play activity (the fire was
easily extinguished and not discovered by an adult)
-
Most children who get involved in fire
play can be successfully taught by parents or caregivers to channel their
fire interest to competent fire safety behaviors and avoid this extremely
dangerous behavior.
Firesetting
In some children, fascination and fireplay
turn into intentional and repeated firesetting behaviors. These children
usually have underlying psychological or social problems, and account for
40% of all children who start fires. Helping these children includes stopping
firesetting behavior immediately and correcting the underlying problems
that caused the behavior. Juvenile firesetting is a dangerous behavior
that cannot be stopped without appropriate intervention, intervention that
addresses why the child sets fires.
Warning
Signs (Red Flags)
ABOUT THE CHILD:
-
Child has ADHD and family is having trouble
managing this problem
-
Child has had fire safety education, knows
that firesetting is wrong and is 8 or older
-
Child has been severely punished for firesetting
-
Child is the victim of physical, emotional
or sexual abuse
-
Child experiences an anxiety release from
fires
-
Child has intense feelings of powerlessness
or has trouble controlling impulses
-
Child is a member of a gang or has a history
of aggressive criminal behaviors
-
Child relies extensively on thinking errors
and is extremely uncooperative with assessment
-
Child has been unsuccessfully treated for
firesetting; the family is unable or unwilling to support intervention
ABOUT THE BEHAVIOR:
-
Bed or bedroom fire
-
Fires are set to specific materials related
to stress
-
Recent changes in the family
-
Chronic history of firesetting with progression
-
Bizarre or ritualistic firesetting
-
Uses fire to torture/injure animals, self
or others
-
Obsessive/compulsive fire thoughts/behaviors
When
to Seek Help
If your child has "played" with fire
on more than one occasion or has deliberately started a fire, or if you
are unsure about educating your child about fire safety, you should seek
help through your local Fire Department or E.S.C.A.P.E.
We have trained personnel who can help the curious child to understand
that playing with fire is very dangerous. Deliberate firesetting is a serious
matter. Children who have deliberately started a fire may be indirectly
indicating that they are having problems.
Who to Contact
E.S.C.A.P.E.,
Inc. believes that a coordinated, consistent
and appropriate response using treatment, education, deterrence, and prevention
is the best method to reduce the risk of fire to youth, their families,
and their communities. E.S.C.A.P.E.
will service children between the ages 3-17 who have exhibited fire related
behavior that has come to the attention of fire, police, courts, parents,
schools, the department of social services, and housing authorities.
The E.S.C.A.P.E.
staff
reviews each case to determine whether the program will be instituted in
connection with a criminal prosecution or some other action. Once
referred, a screening interview may be conducted to determine if the child
is an appropriate candidate for the program. All information
remains confidential. If the child is determined suitable for the
program, he or she will be required to attend a Fire Safety school.
When necessary, a mental health evaluation and treatment might be recommended
to the child and their family.
For more information
on the Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Programs offered by E.S.C.A.P.E.
or to become involved in the program, please contact Firefighter/Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Specialist
Michael
McLeieer at
(800) 707-1718,
ext. 3340 or Firefighter/Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Specialist Scott
Maker at (800) 707-1718, ext. 3341 or click on the link under either
name to send an e-mail message. If you are located outside of the
areas we service (Michigan, Massachusetts & New Hampshire), we will be happy to connect you with a fire educator
in your area.
Click here
to see a listing of the other services we offer & on site training
courses we conduct.
Home