Curiosity about fire is a natural part of childhood, but when that curiosity leads to fire setting behavior, it becomes a serious concern. Unfortunately, children under 18 account for nearly 50% of all arson arrests in the United States, which is why most larger fire departments have adopted programming and have specially trained personnel who can intervene before it’s too late.
Since the late 1990s, the Boise, Idaho, fire department has worked to prevent juvenile misuse of fire through its Youth Firesetting Intervention Program. The program is designed to educate and intervene with children who have misused fire with the goal of preventing further incidents as well as the injuries, deaths and destruction of property that can occur as a result.
According to Maura Hay, fire prevention education program manager for the Boise Fire Department, the best way to get a child the help that he or she needs is through early fire setting intervention…