May 31, 2001



Title: Youth Fire Intervention Team (YFIT) SOP/SOG #: Effective Date:Approved By: Signed: Date1.0 Purpose: The purpose of this guide is to provide consistent procedures statewide for fire departments and other stakeholders to follow when addressing youth firesetting and intervention. The YFIT program coordinates local and regional youth-fire intervention teams. 2.0 Description:2.1 MISSION STATEMENTThe mission of the Youth Firesetting Prevention and Intervention programs and the YFIT is to identify youth who are misusing fire and to provide prompt intervention, including referrals as necessary, to reduce the incidence of youth-set fires.2.2 DEFINITIONSYouth Firesetting: The act of burning, melting, or playing with fire for any reason, regardless of property value or intent, by any child under the age of 18.2.2.1 Youth Firesetting Intervention Program: A program made up of seven components, providing a continuum of service for youth who come to the attention of the agency for firesetting behaviors:IdentificationIntakeAssessmentReviewInterventionEvaluation Follow-up2.2.2 Approved means of information sharing: Documentation shall be delivered through secure electronic transmission, a secure fax, U.S. Post Office or in person.2.2.3 Intervention Taskforce: A network of professionals who advocate for youth to minimize youth firesetting behavior. Participants may include representatives from the fire service, law enforcement, social services, juvenile justice, mental health agencies, or school systems.2.2.4 Youth Firesetting Intervention: A response to persons under 18 who have set a fire or fires. Intervention includes fire education, related activities, and appropriate referrals to other agencies.2.2.5 Youth Firesetting Intervention Specialist: Meeting the criteria of NFPA 1035 chapter 9. 2.2.6 Youth Firesetting Intervention Program Manager: Meeting the criteria of NFPA 1035 chapter 10. (See Appendix A)2.2.7 Youth Firesetting Prevention: An educational initiative to prevent future incidents of youth-set fires.3.0 Scope: The responsibility to follow these guidelines rests with program managers and intervention specialists: The youth fire intervention team is a support system made up of highly trained and experienced intervention specialists. The responding youth-fire intervention team is under the direction of the state youth fire intervention coordinator. Specialists also report to the local fire chief who requests the team. The team works for local authorities to help provide an intervention program for youth firesetters. The team coordinates necessary resources to mitigate youth firesetting in the community. The team will respond at no cost to the requesting agency. The intervention specialist’s home jurisdiction maintains responsibility for workers’ compensation and liability insurance for their employee. Initial deployment of the Youth Fire Intervention Team should consist of one or two trained specialists.4.0 General Procedures:The program is made up of the following components:1.Identification – entry into the program2.Intake3.Assessment4.Review5.Intervention6.Evaluation 7.Follow-up5.0 Specific Procedures:5.1 IdentificationYouth may be referred by parents, caregivers, school officials, the fire service, law enforcement, mental health services, child protection services, and others.5.2 Fire Suppression OfficersAn intervention should not interfere with an investigation. Fires involving youth should be reported as soon as possible to the Minnesota State Duty Officer at 800-422-0798. The duty officer will contact the regional Youth Fire Setter Intervention Coordinator. The Coordinator will then contact the Program Manager in that region. The Program Manager will take responsibility for setting up the intervention with the local fire chief. The following information (if available) shall be provided for YFIT:A completed, on-scene youth firesetting questionnaire. Fire apparatus should be equipped with the questionnaire. It should also be available on the fire department website. The fire incident report must include the Juvenile Firesetter Module report or identified in the arson module as “age as a factor”.Photographs of what was set on fire.Injury or unusual circumstances. If anyone was injured, or unusual circumstances were associated with a youth-set fire, contact the State Duty Officer and request that YFIT be activated immediately to assist with the on-scene interview.5.3 Fire InvestigatorsAn intervention should not interfere with an investigation. Fires involving youth should be reported as soon as possible to the Minnesota State Duty Officer at 800-422-0798. The duty officer will contact the regional Youth Fire Setter Intervention Coordinator. The coordinator will contact the YFPI Program Manager in that region. The Program Manager will take responsibility for setting up the intervention with the local fire chief. The following information (if available) shall be provided to YFIT:A completed, on-scene youth firesetting questionnaire.An investigation reportPhotographs of what was set on fire.5.4 Administrative Staff:The Intake Form shall be used when a family stops at a fire station (or calls a fire station) to refer a child to the program. Immediate action will be taken on these types of referrals only if qualified staffing is available at the time of self-referral. If qualified staff is not available, complete the Intake Form and call the Minnesota State Duty Officer at 800-422-0798. The duty officer will contact the regional Youth Fire Setter Intervention Coordinator. The coordinator will contact the YFPI Program Manager in that region. The Program Manager will take responsibility for setting up the intervention with the local fire chief. The following information shall be provided to YFIT:1.A completed intake form5.5 Youth Firesetting Intervention Program ManagerA YFPI Program Manager will conduct or assign a Youth Firesetter Intervention Specialists to conduct assessments and assist in making intervention strategy decisions as necessary.5.6 IntakeWhen initial contact is made, the parent or legal guardian must sign a Participation Release form giving the YFPI Program legal rights and responsibilities to share information within our state YFPI network. This information shall be shared only within our network. The release acknowledges that going through a YFPI program does not guarantee the behavior will stop. If the parent refuses to sign the Participation Release form and the referral is a result of a fire call, criminal charging may be required in order to proceed with the intervention. If there was no fire call, the specialist should document the refusal to participate and maintain the record in a secured location with other case files. The value of these records is clear when a family refuses to complete the process and is referred to the program once again (following another incident of firesetting, or perhaps by the court). With proper records, the prior refusal to cooperate is documented and a paper trail is established. Documentation will be considered when establishing an intervention strategy.5.6.1 A record of contact, electronic or written, shall be established for all cases. The Intake Form requires a descriptive account of contacts and incident details. 5.7 AssessmentThe main component of the intervention is the assessment. The assessment tool helps us determine an appropriate intervention strategy. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division recommends using the state-approved forms. These forms are easy to use. Questions are numerically weighted, providing a clear and vetted way of determining the most effective intervention strategy. It is recommended that two people (one being an intervention specialist and the other being a local fire service or social service representative) conduct interviews and assessments. This may be done in the home of the referred family or in a neutral location in order to gather information about the family condition and lifestyle. The family may feel more “at home” in their home setting, and possibly more forthcoming with information. If only one intervention specialist is available, it is recommended to conduct the interviews at a neutral location — not the home. At no time shall specialists enter a potentially dangerous environment. Personal safety is paramount. Community centers, schools, and libraries are appropriate. In selecting a location, this is important: Do not reward the youth firesetter with a display of fire trucks.Separate the parent from the juvenile for the screening and assessment process. Go through each section of the tool. If other juveniles are involved with the fire, get their contact information and contact those families to provide intervention services. Based on assessment scores, the intervention specialist will determine an intervention strategy or first meet with the YFPI team or program manager. Depending on the assessment tool score, the intervention will include fire education and other services as deemed necessary. The parent or guardian should sign an agreement that they will attend the firesetting education program and make a date to meet for the session. If the child is court-ordered to attend and the family fails to meet the terms of the agreement, charges may be filed.Firesetting prevention education begins during this process. Parents will be advised to eliminate access to ignition devices and provide continuous supervision of the children. Caregivers will be asked to take responsibility immediately to eliminate access to lighters and matches — which may include locking them up.The youth should be given a pre-test to determine the existing level of knowledge before the intervention education session(s).After leaving the assessment, the intervention specialist will document the findings on the Narrative Form.If assessment results require involvement of mental health specialists, and the family is already using a mental health professional, an Authorization to Release Confidential Information form must be signed to release information to those parties who need to be involved. “Low risk” program participants will receive fire education and “moderate risk” youths will have a combination of intervention strategies recommended. 5.8 Review The multi-discipline intervention specialists who make up the local/regional YFPI team should meet on a regular schedule. In order to maintain the highest level of service and effectiveness, case studies should be reviewed, results evaluated, and changes made as needed to maintain the integrity of the program. 6.0 Intervention Process:The goal of intervention is to respond to the family’s needs and provide referrals and education to stop risky behavior. Just as every child is unique, every intervention will be different. If the firesetting behavior stems from curiosity, an educational intervention is appropriate. If the behavior stems from stress, crisis or mental health issues, the intervention will involve other service providers. If the behavior is delinquent, a restorative justice portion can be effective. Community Impact Reports are recommended for children older than eight years of age.After carefully reviewing the assessment notes, intervention strategies shall be determined by the Youth Firesetting Intervention Specialist who works on the case. This process may involve consultation with the local YFPI team, the State Fire Marshal Division or other agencies involved with the family, including social or mental health services. The YFI Specialist will help families find the right agencies for children in need of other services.6.1 EducationFiresetting prevention education is one of the most critical parts of the Youth Firesetting Intervention Program. Children who set fires need information so they can understand the consequences of their inappropriate behavior. This involves helping the youth take responsibility for inappropriate behavior and identify appropriate behavior. Fire education should include: Rules and LawsFire Statistics and BehaviorFire and Burn PreventionFire SafetyReview and TestEvaluationsFire education should also include a Victim Impact Statement. This portion teaches the student all of the victims (or potential victims) who’ve been adversely affected by the student’s poor choices and behavior. It is important to include ALL victims, as this illustrates the community impact of firesetting behavior. The student should read the impact statement aloud to the class and to his/her parents. This is sometimes uncomfortable for the student, but the exercise is highly affective.6.2 Role of Parents:Parents or behavioral specialists who aren’t familiar with effective intervention strategies may believe they have given useful guidance to a young firesetter. Usually, parents have attempted to educate their child about fire in one of the following ways:Instilling fear in the childUsing punishmentIgnoring the problem to avoid “putting ideas into the child’s head”Warning of unrealistic outcomes (you will be killed; you will go to jail)Giving the child misinformation about fireRarely do parents of youth firesetters provide their children with detailed instructions on how and when fire should be used. Most adults don’t know much more about fire than children do, but they are an important part of the child’s education process. Parents should accompany children through the process, sitting with them in the classroom and participating in one-on-one education. This will reinforce the whole family’s understanding of fire and firesetting behavior, and help them learn to prevent inappropriate use of fire. 6.3 Specialist TrainingThere is extensive training for Youth Firesetting Intervention Specialists available through the National Fire Academy and State Fire Marshal Division. This training addresses firesetting typologies and intervention approaches. The specialists also need to be familiar with other community organizations that can assist in the intervention process when education alone is not enough.7.0 EvaluationExit from the firesetting intervention program typically occurs after the education session is completed, a post-test is passed and (if necessary) a referral is made to an outside agency. Juveniles who exit the program prior to completion fail the program. Failure should be documented in the juvenile’s file. It is very important to have successful participants fill out evaluation forms upon completion. Their feedback provides insight into how the program can be improved.8.0 Follow-up When a participant exits the program, a follow-up procedure is essential. Follow-up was established to assure the youth and the family that YFPI specialists and other agencies continue to be concerned and supportive. Follow-ups can be conducted by telephone, in writing, or during personal visits. Follow-ups should be conducted six and twelve months after the intervention is completed. The follow-up form should be used to document progress. The follow-up also serves as an evaluation. If there has been behavior change (no more firesetting behavior, practicing fire prevention and fire safety) then the intervention can be considered successful. 8.1 Unusual CircumstancesAt any time throughout the process, the specialist may encounter one of several unusual circumstances which may require extra resources or specific actions. These may include (but are not limited to): Child Abuse (Sexual, Physical or Psychological), Non-English speaking students or parents, students with physical or mental impairment, or dangerous situation. Under no conditions shall a specialist attempt to provide service that is beyond his/her training.8.2 Child AbuseAll cases of suspected abuse shall be immediately reported to law enforcement personnel. This is required by Minnesota State Law. A specialist who has questions regarding a case should contact their county’s social services department, an officer in their police or fire department or the State Fire Marshal Division.8.3 Non-English Speaking Students/FamiliesEvery attempt should be made to find an interpreter to aid in the process. If this is not possible, follow your cities policies. It is recommended to have these services available ahead of time in case this should happen.8.4 Students with physical/mental impairmentEvery effort shall be made to accommodate students and family members with physical/mental impairments. All guidelines within the federal ADA (American Disability Act) shall be adhered to. 9.0 RecidivismSome children will continue to set fires. These children need more help from social services, referral to juvenile justice, or mental health treatment. They may need to be formally charged in order to stop the behavior. A child should not go through the program twice, but should be referred to an appropriate mental health agency. 10.0 DocumentationJuvenile data is protected by law. Every contact established during the case should be documented in the file with name(s), date, time, and reason for contact. Files may include a police report, a fire report, a contact form, an assessment form, a knowledge test, a privacy form, a release form, and a narrative. Youth firesetting intervention files shall be stored securely and accessed only by the program manager or intervention specialist handling the case. Data on all cases must be entered into Image Trend, other NFIRS compatible software, or submitted directly to the State Fire Marshal Division on the incident reporting form.11.0 Responsibilities: It is the responsibility of all program participants to sign the Minnesota YFIT Memorandum of Understanding (See Appendix B) and to agree to follow this guideline for youth fire interventions through this program. The State Fire Marshal Division will keep the Memorandums of Understanding on file. ................
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