Children are reported to be responsible as the 3rd largest cause of accidental fires, and represent an even greater percentage for deliberately lit fires. Motivation can be anything from a fascination with fire and fire play through to malicious intent. Besides the inherent risk of injury to the child and others, fires set by children cause extensive damage within our communities every year including homes, schools and vegetation fires. Research indicates that unchecked fire setting behaviours with older children may also be one of a number of possible future potential violent offending.
In 1991 Ray Coleman, a Fire Safety Officer with the New Zealand Fire Service met with Dr Hinds Albrict of the Auckland Regional Forensic Psychiatry Services to discuss a proposal to provide a formal intervention service for children and youth (under 18 years) involved in adverse fire setting and inappropriate fire play. The proposal was to coordinate efforts to identify, assess and treat children and young people at risk of fire setting with the aim of modifying their behaviour and improving their understanding of the consequence of fire setting.
From 1991 until 1993 FSO Ray Coleman, supported by the Auckland Fire Region management, researched juvenile fire setting behaviours and the psychology of arson gaining qualifications from the Auckland Institute of Technology. FSO Coleman researched international intervention programmes and established global networks, being asked to address a United States Chief Fire Officer conference as well as a range of other presentations throughout the United States.
In 1993 a 5 year pilot scheme known as the “Youth Liaison Project” was started initiated in Auckland. The pilot programme was so successful that in 1996 the programme was adopted nationally by the New Zealand Fire Service as the “Fire Awareness and Intervention Programme” (FAIP). FSO Coleman introduced national processes and trained representatives from the other Fire Regions to be able to coordinate the FAIP programme in their respective communities.
Today all eight fire regions in New Zealand have FAIP coordinators managing over 100 carefully selected firefighters to deliver the programme. These firefighters (known as practitioners) have completed a week long training course to achieve their “practioners” status and meet regularly throughout the year for skills maintence training and supervision by two consulting physiologists, Dr. Ian Lambie, Senior Lecturer in clinical Psychology Auckland University and Dr Ricki Tan, Registered Psychologist.
FAIP also hosts an annual national FAIP conference in Rotorua to further develop our practitioners and provide opportunities for other agencies and related groups to share information to continue to improve the success of the programme. Many groups refer children to the programme including Police Youth Aid, Child Youth & Family, Youth Justice, and schools as well as concerned parents and caregivers with over 700 referrals annually.
Auckland University has recently completed a comprehensive evaluation of the programme found that 98% of children who have completed the programme are not involved in further fire setting. The report is posted on this site.