Fire Service urge parents to identify 'fire setters' at an early age

In an attempt to identify young people who are exhibiting fire setting behaviour before it materialises into a dangerous situation, the Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service and Safer Communities Torbay are raising awareness about its ‘Firesetters Intervention Programme’.

The Fire Service regularly attend schools and youth groups to deliver fire safety messages across the bay in order to educate about the dangers of fire and what to do in the event of a fire. The intervention programme follows on from this good work by providing a channel for residents to refer individuals they perceive to be at risk of firesetting.

Ray Harris, Torbay Group Commander, Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service comments; “The programme has been running since 1995 and currently has 33 trained advisors. Previously focusing on raising awareness of the tell-tale signs amongst youth workers and colleagues who regularly work with children such as teachers, doctors, youth offending workers, police and partner agencies, we are now also trying to raise awareness amongst all parents and carers of the bay’s young people”.

“The team will also carry out a home fire safety visit to ensure the home of a potential firesetter is as safe as possible, they assist parents/guardians on reducing general fire risks in their home and fit smoke detectors free of charge.”

The attraction of fire setting goes beyond disaffected teenagers holding a grudge against society and is not necessarily linked to pyromania. The surprising truth is that young people who are ‘firesetting’, as it is known, can be any age from two upwards and may exhibit this sort of behaviour for many reasons. Firesetters may live in homes where lighters and matches are left in accessible places. They may have watched a film containing explosions. Quite often they will have learnt the behaviour from another family member and are simply seeking to mimic.

At the other extreme, some children may resort to fire setting in order to seek attention. Intense feelings of anger and resentment lead them to seek revenge, perhaps by fire setting in schools, at home or by targeting other people’s private property.Particularly with younger children, their perception of danger and the consequences of their actions are not realised, leading to destruction and even tragedy.

The firesetting intervention programme operates a referral system whereby ANY individual who is worried about a young person’s behaviour with regards to fire safety can fill out a referral form (once parental support has been sought) and the individual of concern will receive a visit from an advisor who will work with the child to identify the root cause of the problem, attempt to address it and support with a tailored educational package aimed at breaking the emotional relationship with fire.

Development Officer Gareth Sydenham said: “The team has about 100 referrals a year from all over Devon and Somerset. Our objective is to help young people and children to turn away from behaviour that causes their families, communities and themselves a great deal of damage. We are a very successful unit and our team of dedicated advisors is making a real difference to the lives of those who display firesetting behaviour. The targeted, focused help they receive makes all the difference.”

Further information and referral forms are easily downloaded and sent from the Fire Setters Intervention Programme.

Tell-Tale Signs of Habitual Firesetting

• Small burn holes in carpets
• Charred paper in sinks or waste baskets
• Matches or lighters hidden in your child’s room, school bag or coat
• An unusual fascination with fires
• Unexplainable fires in the home

Advice for Parents and Carers

Is your home safe for your children?

• Ensure your home has at least one smoke alarm installed
• Keep matches and lighters safely out of reach of children
• Never leave children alone in the house
• Explain the dangerous nature of fire
• Teach your children to stop, drop and roll if their clothes catch fire