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Tucson Department’s FireStoppers Program
FIRE
Really Burns Everybody !
Each year in the United States, millions of dollars of property are lost, thousands of children are burned and hundreds of deaths are
caused by youth set fires.
In the year 2001, in Tucson, Arizona:
- Over 1.2 million dollars of property were lost as the result of youth set fires
- 56% of all arson arrests in the City of Tucson were youth under the age of 18
- 2 people died as the result of a youth set fire
Who are these firesetters and why do they set fires?
A youth firesetter is a child under the age of 18, who accidentally or purposely starts a fire.
Youth firesetters start fires for many reasons:
- Curiosity / Experimentation: Children want to see how things like matches and lighters work
- Imitating Behavior: Children imitate their parents, other family members, and important people in their lives
- Peer Pressure: Some children are pressured into setting fires by their friends
- Crisis: Some children have many stressors in their lives and set fires as a way to cope, as a cry for help or out of anger
- Some children use firesetting as a way to threaten or intimidate others
- Some children use fire during other illegal activities to cover up their crimes or destroy evidence
Whatever the reason a child starts a fire, there is help through the Tucson Fire Department’s Juvenile FireStoppers Program.
The Juvenile FireStoppers Program has three components to assist youth and their families with the issues of firesetting:
- Educational Classes
- Parent / Caregiver groups
- Counseling Services (Our Town Family Center)
Educational Classes:
- Children ages 8 through 15 attend one Saturday a month from 09:00 AM to 4:30 PM
- All classes are held at the Tucson Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Center - 797 E. Ajo Way Tucson, Arizona and are offered free of charge.
- All lessons are taught by a Tucson Fire Inspector
- Lessons include; fire safety, consequences, choices, responsibility, arson laws, and how firesetting affects the community
Parent / Caregiver Groups:
- A Parent Group meets during the child’s educational classes
- The group is facilitated by a mental health provider
- The discussion topics include; fire safety, parenting tips, arson laws, ADD / ADHD and firesetting, and consequences
Counseling Services:
- Counseling services are available free of charge to city of Tucson families
- Families are referred to two licensed / certified mental health providers
- All mental health providers have experience treating youth firesetting behaviors
- Two of the mental health providers have bilingual practices
If you have any further questions or want further information, please contact the Tucson Fire Department Juvenile Firestoppers
Program at: (520) 791-4502.
Click the link below to request more information via e-mail: Juvenile FireStopper Information.
Do you know a child who is curious about FIRE?
Call the Juvenile FireStoppers Program
For more information contact the Tucson Fire Department Community Safety Office at
791-4502
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