Youth Firesetter Program 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.
A description of the firesetter program is provided, clearly outlining the scope of the program. It is stated that the program is designed to address the child's firesetting behavior through education ,and if necessary, referral to an appropriate health care professional. Special emphasis shall be noted that the program offers fire safety education only and that any counseling or therapy is conducted by professionals outside the program.
An appointment is set up in which the child and the entire family is invited to attend. The educational approach utilizes the entire family as a support group for the firesetter and requires their involvement in its success.
The meeting starts with a screening and evaluation process conducted with the child and family. Interview schedules designed to provide the program with systematic methods of evaluation are used. A series of questions are asked of the firesetting youth and their families in personal interviews. The application of these interviews yield information regarding the severity of the firesetting problem and provides preliminary data on the psychosocial environment of the youth and their family. These interview schedules yield a quantifiable method for classifying the severity of the firesetting problem and for recommending specific types of intervention.
Youth participating in fire play and firesetting behavior motivated by accident, curiosity or experimentation can be identified and educated to reduce the likelihood of their future involvement in unsupervised fire starts. Early intervention through education is the major focus of our program. Lesson plans developed with the use of videos, booklets, props, and activity sheets are utilized to educate the child and their family.
