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SOS
FIRES: Youth Intervention Programs
The Youth
Firesetting Intervention Resource Site
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ABOUT
SOS FIRES: YOUTH INTERVENTION PROGRAMS
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SOS FIRES: Youth Intervention Programs is a non-profit (501[c]3 tax exempt
#94-3194659) organization which develops and supports a wide range of
intervention services for fire involved youth. We endeavor to prevent damage,
injury, and death caused by child set fires. Our mission is as follows:
THE MISSION OF SOS FIRES
SOS FIRES exists to prevent youth fire tragedy through education, intervention,
and mental health support. By forming unique partnerships and offering support
to agencies dedicated to providing intervention services to fire involved
youth, SOS FIRES intends to reduce the losses attributed to child caused fires
in the Pacific Northwest, across North America,
and around the globe.
Our goals are as follows:
- To promote partnerships between the fire service, law
enforcement, mental health practitioners, the medical community, and child
advocate agencies who must deal with the aftermath of child-set fires.
- To provide financial support for crisis firesetting behavior in
need of intervention services.
- To provide funding for innovative projects that will improve
fire safety education methodology.
- To gather and provide information that will assist agencies with
concerns about youth firesetting behaviors.
- To coordinate and present training opportunities for agencies
providing intervention services for youth firesetting behaviors.
- To provide assistance to families devastated by losses caused by
child-set fires.
- To save lives!
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors for SOS FIRES is
made up of practicing interventionists in the field of youth firesetting
intervention. The board consists of five volunteers who work professionally
with firesetting behaviors. They are listed below:
- Don Porth - Don began his career in the fire
service in 1980, beginning as a volunteer firefighter before being hired
as a career firefighter in Salem, Oregon and later in Portland, Oregon.
He is currently a youth firesetting intervention specialist with the
Portland Fire & Rescue. He has worked directly with child firesetting
behaviors since 1988. His implementation of the juvenile firesetting information
database has made Portland's
program one of the most noted in the nation. Don is a member of the
National Fire Protection Association as a steering committee member for
addressing the national juvenile firesetting problem, and past Chair of
the Oregon Council Against Arson. Don holds a Bachelors of Science Degree
in Fire Command Administration from City University.
Contact Don at Don@sosfires.com
- Lisa Garvich
- Lisa has served as a dedicated member of the fire service since 1989.
She currently works as a Public Educator/Public Information Officer for
King County Fire District #40 (Renton,
Washington). Lisa has been
active as a youth firesetting interventionist and trainer for the past
five years. She chairs the steering committee for FIRE STOPPERS of King County,
a coalition based program serving hundreds of "at-risk" children
and their families throughout the greater Seattle area. Contact Lisa at Lisa@sosfires.com
- Brian Whitney
MA, CEAP, CMFT, CMHC - Brian has been a therapist and business consultant
since 1971. He is a Washington State Certified Marriage and Family
Therapist, Certified Mental Health Counselor, and a Certified Employee
Assistance Professional. In Brian's counseling practice he works with
children, adults, and families specializing in marital relationships,
depression, and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Brian, and his
multi-disciplinary staff of Mental Health Professionals, have designed and
implemented the mental health services for the King County Juvenile
Firesetter Intervention Program. Brian is an Allied Health Care
Professional Staff Member at Fairfax
Hospital and a
member of the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA).
Contact Brian at Brian@sosfires.com
- Niki Pereira
- Niki currently works for the Alaska
Injury Prevention
Center and serves as
the Fire Safety Specialist. In her capacity, she serves the State of Alaska by working to
provide fire safety programs, manage fire safety campaigns and provide
juvenile firesetting intervention and training. Prior to joining the Alaska Injury Prevention
Center, Niki worked
in the fire service for 22 years. She has worked with children who misuse
fire since the beginning of her career in 1979. Niki has been a Juvenile
Firesetter Trainer for the past 7 years. She was an original steering
committee member for the King County Fire Stoppers program in Washington State. She developed and managed the
Fire Stoppers program for the Anchorage Fire Department for over 6 years.
Niki has been a member of the NFPA 1035 Committee (Professional
Qualifications for Public Fire Educator) since 1996 and assisted in the
development of the Juvenile Firesetter section of that standard.
Contact Niki at Niki@sosfires.com
- Ombudsman position currently vacant
TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Accompanying our board of directors is a
technical advisory committee. These are also volunteers who offer direction and
perspective for the full range of programs promoted by SOS FIRES.
Dave
Centers, Portland Fire & Rescue (Oregon)
Camille Colbert, Private Consultant (British Columbia)
Jamie Fry, Seattle Fire Department (Washington)
Kenny Gabriel, Coeur D'Alene Fire Department (Idaho)
Becky Gibbs, Fire Safety Education Consultant (Washington)
Kathryn Hooper, Henderson Fire Department (Nevada)
Dr. Richard Jensen, Teambuilders Inc. (Oregon
Alice Lasher, Sandy/Boring Fire Prevention (Oregon)
Pat Mieszala, Burn Concerns Inc.
(California)
Robert Stadolnik, Firepsych Inc. (Massachusetts)
Brian Whitney, CoHear Inc.
(Washington)
SUCCESSFULLY MEETING THE CHALLENGE
Few organizations have chosen to take on
the issue of youth firesetting on a scale that extends beyond their
jurisdiction. This makes SOS FIRES a unique and independent champion for this
problem. But we need support to succeed.
The very strength of our organization is
also the most significant downfall. We are rich with technical expertise but very
short on time and resources. Outreach, is a challenge. Many fire agencies and
mental health professionals would gladly take advantage of information about
children and fire but do not know to whom or where to look. Through this
internet site and our other outreach efforts, we hope to be a valuable resource
to other professionals in the field of youth firesetting and, ultimately, save
lives.
For
more information, contact:
Don
Porth, President
SOS FIRES: Youth Intervention Programs
22220 SE Heidi Lane, Suite
1
Damascus OR 97089
(503) 805-8482
(503) 427-0902 fax
E-mail: sosfires@sosfires.com
"Because
Every Child Deserves A Safe Tomorrow"
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