NASFM Youth Fire Prevention
BEST PRACTICES
Thanks to NASFM Fire Research & Education Foundation for granting us permission to use here a portion of its final performance report on the NASFM Youth Fire Prevention workshops funded through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.
Based on interaction with NASFM Youth Fire Prevention workshop attendees, the NASFM Research and Education Foundation and its expert partner Fireproof Children recommend the following best practices for community Youth Fire Prevention programs. The practices listed below are in no specific order, but rather should be taken as a whole and considered as key factors in establishing and conducting effective, sustainable programs.
- Integrate Youth Firesetting Intervention Activities With Public Fire Education
Intervention and education are two sides of the same coin, one trying to prevent the first firesetting act and the other acting to prevent subsequent firesetting. Much “intervention” consists of education, and fire safety educators have the experience and resources to provide it.
- Leverage Community Resources
The fire department alone does not have the budget, manpower or expertise to single-handedly mount a comprehensive response to youth firesetting. Only by leveraging the commitment and dedication of the fire service to engage agencies with complementary resources and expertise can it effectively address these issues. Examples include community youth programs, church and civic groups, neighborhood associations, libraries, schools, health care organizations and providers, social service and mental health agencies, law enforcement, legislators and the media.
Not every community agency with relevant resources and expertise recognizes its role in juvenile firesetting and intervention and prevention, or feels prepared to handle the role. The fire service must engage these agencies, be clear and persuasive about why they are needed, and what specifically these agencies are expected to contribute to address the community’s problem.
- Establish and Maintain an Incident Data System
The ability to track data over time is critical to demonstrating the effectiveness of youth fire education and intervention programs. Without data, programs are vulnerable to budget and personnel cuts during difficult economic times. Data systems such as NFIRS version 5 or proprietary data systems can provide the necessary data. The National Association of State Fire Marshals has developed and maintained an internet-based Youth FireSetter data collection system that allows participants to produce local incident reports and use data from other participating communities. Access can be provided through NASFM.
- Promote Communication Among Community Partners
Regular communication among individual community education and intervention partners allows communities to work more closely and effectively. This can be done easily and inexpensively using social networking systems such as Google Groups (www.google.com),Yahoo Groups (www.yahoo.com), or other professional social networking systems such as www.iZoca.com. In addition, the State Fire Marshal’s Office can provide ongoing support at low cost to help individual community partners provide and seek help from other partners.
- Create State Partnerships to Support Education and Intervention Activities
The Office of State Fire Marshal in each state must be a willing and active partner in statewide Youth Fire Prevention efforts, advocating for and in support of local coalitions. It has the prevention of fires and public fire education as a specific tenant of its mission, and the necessary contacts at both the state and local levels to ensure the coordination and channeling of resources where they are most needed.
State health departments and child protective agencies have extensive knowledge of state law and procedures, and state programs that can support and inform local efforts. Burn Foundations in many states are also very well positioned to provide additional support. Burn units of many large hospitals in some states have already assumed a large role in supporting the work of local education and intervention coalitions. State departments of education have a key role in encouraging local school districts to participate in fire prevention and intervention coalitions.
- Include Fire Department Public Information Officers in Local Coalitions
The work of Public Information Officers of fire departments affords multiple opportunities to raise public awareness of the assistance available, and their participation with coalitions and networks provides full briefings of coalition capabilities and sources to make public awareness more effective.
- Develop a Statewide Prevention and Intervention Protocol for Youth Firesetting
Each state is encouraged to create a statewide protocol for preventing and mitigating youthful firesetting incidents. The protocol need not be extensive, but should include existing resources and practice guidelines so that all agencies are aware of the state and local capacity for addressing youth firesetting. The “Georgia Intervention Protocol for the Prevention and Mitigation of Juvenile Firesetting,” created by the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation and the Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office, is one of the better models currently available.
For more information about building and maintaining effective community coalitions and networks, see Juvenile Firesetting: A Community Guide to Prevention and Intervention, a handbook created by Fireproof Children.
top
Other training programs offered by Fireproof Children
