Juvenile Firesetter Program
The Merrimack Fire and Rescue Department Juvenile Firesetter Program has been established to help reduce the number of fires started by juveniles within our community. The program is designed to assist parents and their child in understanding the dangers of playing with fire, how to prevent repeat behavior and other consequences of their firesetting behavior. Request for services can be made by the parents or legal guardian of the child, referral by School Officials, Fire Investigator or by Juvenile Justice.
Who are these firesetters?
A firesetter is any child under the age of 16 who sets a fire, either intentionally or unintentionally.
Why do they set fires?
Children set fires for many reasons
Coriosity and experimantation are the most common reason children set fires along with bordem, anger, stress in the home (family) or school peer pressure, the need for attention and emotional instability.
How does our program work?
Merrimack if a member of the Nashua Regional Fire Intervention Program, this program is a collaborative involving seven area communities, emergency services and The Youth Council. Interviews will be 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 a serious problems, educational intervention and referral to The Youth Council will be recommended.
The Merrimack Fire and Rescue Department Juvenile Firesetter Program is a multi-level approach to the education and/or education of identified juveniles involved in firesetting behavior. The program is adaptable for ages 3 through 16. Participation is voluntary in the program 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, education, assessment, referral (if needed) and follow-up. Parents or legal Guardians are required to participate in the program.
Identification
Identification is what brings the child to our attention, which may be accomplished in a number of ways. A child is found to be involved in firesetting behavior by a parent, a child who has experienced an inappropriate incident with fire and the Fire Department is involved. If a child has been linked to a fire incident through investigation they may also be referred to the program by the Juvenile Court. Referrals can also come for school officials.
Education
Regardless of the reason for a child setting a fire, education is the key to changing firesetting behaviors. Education involves providing the family with the information they need to prevent future mishaps with fire. Parents must be as much a part of the process as the child, since we cannot expect the child to use fire in an appropriate manner, when his/her primary role models (parents) may be demonstrating the incorrect use of fire.
Many firesetters know how to stop, drop and roll, crawl low under smoke, feel the door, test their smoke detector, make an escape plan, and many other survival skills they were taught at school during fire prevention. However, survival skills emphasize what to do after a fire has occurred. Firesetting intervention should emphasize how to avoid the inappropriate use of fire to prevent an incident from every occurring.
Assessment
Initial contact with the program can simply be a phone call from the parent requesting assistance with a juvenile to Fire Prevention regarding a suspected firesetter. At this time, the parents are interviewed to gain background information on the child and family history, the juvenile should NOT accompany the parent or guardian to this appointment.
The parents are then asked to bring the child into the Fire Prevention Office. The program requires that the parents commit to at least two appointments within a two-three week period.
During the first visit, the interviewer will need to determine if education is the proper intervention method to solving the problem or is additional help for the family needed. If there are problems that fire safety alone cannot solve, then appropriate, help must be found for the family through a referral to The Youth Council 112 West Pearl Street in Nashua NH.
Referral
Identifying the issues that led the child to firesetting and then determining the proper course of action for resolving the child's fire setting behaviors. These resources may be in the form of mental health intervention, parenting classes, juvenile justice, or other appropriate services.
Follow-up
No program can be successful without evaluation. Follow-up means evaluating the success rates as well as looking at client satisfaction and additional client needs.
Success can be measured by the rate of recurrence of fire setting behavior. The non-recurrence of firesetting behavior, which usually indicates a good change in behavior, can determine the success of the intervention.
How do I refer a child to the program?
Parents, Caregivers and School Officials: Contact the Merrimack Fire and Rescue Department as soon after the fire incident as possible. The telephone number is (603) 424-3690 and asks for the Fire Prevention with reference to a Juvenile Firesetter.