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“Firesetting and Youth”
A new learning resource for kids.

 Submitted by:
Marilyn Lamb
Office of the Fire Commissioner - Manitoba, Canada

The Office of the Fire Commissioner in Manitoba, Canada is pleased to announce the publishing of a new resource for juvenile firesetting behaviour.  Fire Setting and Youth is a 40-page full-colour resource that addresses the issue of youth firesetting and is designed for children and youth who have learning disabilities, cognitive impairments and other learning issues. 

Fire Setting and Youth is designed specifically as a resource for parents, educators and professionals as a tool to discuss firesetting with children and youth.  Fire Setting and Youth talks about the attraction and implication of fire in child friendly language, using colour photographs to illustrate concepts on each page.  Also included are "Notes to Adults," "Safety Planning" and a complete glossary of terms for children. 

In 1999, Paula Cook received a phone call from Marc Proulx.  It had come to Marc’s attention that one of Paula’s students was setting fires in the community.  This was not a new revelation.  Paula knew that her student, Michael, was involved in fire setting in the community…. the church on Main Street, his old school, a few garbage cans…  Michael hung around with a group of kids who set fires. 

Michael was an exuberant young man.  Diagnosed with partial fetal alcohol syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and cognitive impairment, Michael was vulnerable to many undesirable influences in the community.  When Marc came out to speak to Michael, Paula sat in.  Michael sat politely as Marc spoke to him…. after all, Paula had coached Michael as to the behavior, which was expected of him.   Afterwards, when Paula asked Michael what Marc had said, he could not remember.

Marc and Paula discussed this issue; of how to present information about firesetting to kids who learn differently; kids with attention difficulties, memory problems, cognitive issues and other challenges.  Working on their own time, Marc and Paula began to develop Fire Setting and Youth, a resource for kids and adults to discuss fire and firesetting behaviors.

Drawing upon the experiences and information garnered from the kids in Paula’s class, Paula and Marc, and Paula’s students collaborated on the project. Through this process, it quickly became apparent that kids needed to learn how to keep themselves safe and how to protect themselves from undesirable influences.  All the kids recognized that firesetting was “bad” as they had been taught, but too often these kids found themselves in situations in which they felt they had no choice but to set a fire.  One of the kids said, “I know firesetting is bad, but if I don’t do it, Troy said he’d beat up my grandmother, then who would I live with?” 

Another aspect discussed was how fire spreads.  A number of the kids did not understand this concept.  As one of the kids said, “I didn’t start the house on fire.  I started the rag on fire and the rag started the house on fire.”  After spilling colored water on the floor and watching the water spread over the surface of the floor, the kids began to get the point!

The kids who helped developed this book are very proud of their accomplishment!  These are kids who are struggling through school and many have experienced traumatic life events.  They have shared their experiences, and interpretations of life’s chaos. This book is an outstanding example of reciprocal learning and respect. 

Paula Cook and Marc Proulx authored Fire Setting and Youth.  Paula, B.Ed., M.Ed., is a special education teacher in the Winnipeg School Division and teaches courses related to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.  Paula is the author of “Tough Kids and Substance Abuse,” “FAS:  More Than a Medical Diagnosis,” and other related publications.  Marc is qualified with the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress as a Fire and Life Safety Educator and is a Fire Safety Educator for the City of Winnipeg.  Marc deals extensively with youth firesetting behaviour, providing intervention services and teaching of fire safety skills. 

The cost of the book is $15.00 (Canadian) plus shipping and handling.  To purchase Fire Setting and Youth, please send a cheque or money order (Payable to the Minister of Finance) or a Purchase Order Number to: 

Office of the Fire Commissioner
1601 Van Horne Avenue
East Brandon, Manitoba Canada R7A 7K2.

 For further information, please call (204) 726-6855 or e-mail emerserv@gov.mb.ca.

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