The Oakdale Fire Department implemented a Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Program in 1992. Two firefighters have been trained as juvenile firesetters reporters. The training consisted of an academic course provided by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Identification

Juvenile firesetting is usually identified in two ways, the parents of the child recognize an inappropriate incident with fire or the fire department responds to an incident that a child is responsible for.

History and Education

Once a child has been placed into the program a reporter will conduct an interview to obtain history and details involving the incident. An educational message is the second phase of the interview process. Parents are expected to be as much a part of the process as the child. 

Assessment

An assessment will be made by the reporter to determine what the child and/or family will need to prevent further inappropriate fire use.

Referral

The referral phase of the juvenile firesetter intervention involves finding the family the help they need to solve the issues that led to the incident.

The Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Program is a service provided by the Oakdale Fire Department. If you have observed inappropriate fire use by your child or know of children that have experienced inappropriate fire incidents please contact the Oakdale Fire Department. 847-5904.