City of Tucson Home Page
Link to the Tucson Firefighters Local # 479 Home Page
Link to the Netobjects Home Page

Last Update:

16 August 2006

FPC Only
Link to the Tucson Fire Department Home Page

 

Department

City of Tucson

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.

Nationally:

  • Over 300 million dollars of property is lost annually as the result of youth set fires
  • 50% of all arson arrests are youth under the age of 18
  • 300 people lose their lives annually in fires started by children, 30% of these victims are the children who set the 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 a class to assist youth and their families with the issues of firesetting.

Educational Classes:

  • Children ages 8 through 17.
  • All classes are held at the Fire Central 300 South Fire Central in 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

If you have any further questions, or want further information, please contact the Tucson Fire Department Juvenile Firestoppers Program at: (520) 791-4502.

Click 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 or 837-7086