- Author
- International Association of Fire Chiefs, Inc.
- Title
- Preadolescent Firesetter Handbook. Ages 0-7.
- Coporate
- International Association of Fire Chiefs, Inc., Washington, DC
- Sponsor
- Fire Administration, Washington, DC
- Report
- FA-83, December 1988, 46 p.
- Keywords
- handbooks | firesetters | children | arson | therapy
- Identifiers
- juveniles
- Abstract
- PURPOSE AND GOALS: This manual is not an end in itself, nor does it completely discuss every type of firesetting behavior and situation which fire service personnel are likely to encounter when interviewing yourhful firesetters of their families. Rather, it is intended to be a guide-an-aid-another tool for use by properly trained people to help reduce death, injury and property damage by fire. Former baseball star Yogi Berra once remarked, "If you don't know where you're going, you won't know when you get there." This manual, then, does not contain discussions fo psychology principles and theories, but has been designed to be used-to-get the user goining with clear goals in mind. The fire primary goals of this manual are: [1] Teaching fire service personnel to recognize problems in children thay may lead to recurrent firesetting. Early recognition and treatment of firesetting-whether motivated by anxiety, frustration, guilt or dozens of other human conditions-remains the best permanent way to prevent more serious difficulties; [2] Teaching fire service personnel how to interview fire-setting children and their familites. More and ore, the roles of fire department personnel are expanding to cope with the many aspects of "fire". These activities include code enforcement, the promulgation of much needed legislation, and curbing arson. Interviewing juvenile firesetters is among the new duties for many firefighters; [3] Teaching fire service personnel methods and strategies for educating curiosity firesetters and their families. Fire service professionals can counsel or educate some firesetting children and families. Short term fire counseling takes the form of educational intervention. Several options for education intervention are suggested in this manual; [4] Teaching fire department personnel to select children and families for professional mental health assistance based on the severity of their problems. The fire service's role is not psychological counseling and therapy. However, it is essential that the fire service recognize mental health problems in firesetters and their families and refer these troubled people. A primary purpose of this manual is to teach fire service personnel how to evaluate the severity of firesetting behavior; [5] Teaching the fire service ways to refer children and families for appropraite mental health assistance. The referral process is an art in itself. The manual describes how to locate possible resources in the community and suggests effective ways to make such referrals.