Helping youth at risk
Thorold fire’s award-winning program...
Playing with fire is often a call out for help.
A symptom of a bigger, deeper problem.
And it’s the passion of the people who make up The Arson Prevention Program for Children in Niagara to listen. To educate. To understand the deeper, belowthe-surface reasons why children and teens play with and set fires. And then to help give them a chance for a healthy future.
“We could just look at a fire occurrence and the youth who set it, and tell them not to play with fire and matches and we’re done,” said Captain Vince Giovannini, fire prevention officer with the Thorold Fire Service. But that’s not good enough. Children who play with fire have a deeper, more complex story.
And it’s through a collaboration between fire services, police and mental health professionals that these kids get the help they need, he said.
Ten years ago, Niagara’s TAPP-C program began. In essence, it’s a collaborative effort to ensure that children and teens who play inappropriately with fire are referred for fire-safety education and mental health counselling to understand and ultimately stop their behaviours.
Referrals come from anyone or any agency who cares about youth – parents, schools, Family and Children’s Services and other agencies that service children, police and justice services.
Maybe they were caught lighting fires inside their home, at school or in the community. Maybe they were playing with accelerants like gas, hairspray or other body sprays. A few have been caught making explosives.
When it began, there was a wait list of 85 youths. These days, with a full-time therapist, the program sees some 60 youth every year, with no wait, said Michelle Pharand, TAPP-C therapist at Pathstone Mental Health. It’s free to children up to age 17. The youngest to go through the program was four years old.
Experts estimate that half of all arson fires are started by juveniles. Indeed, back in 2013, Niagara Regional Police recommended an 11-year-old boy suspected of setting a $2-million condominium fire in St. Catharines undergo counselling through TAPP-C. The boy was too young to be charged under the Criminal Code.
The child is not doing well and that’s what they’re telling the adults around them. These are good kids. They’re just making poor choices.” Michelle Pharand
Pharand recently won a Fire Safety Award from Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal for her contributions to fire safety in Niagara.
The TAPP-C program is available through hundreds of fire and mental health services across Ontario. And yet, the Niagara program stands out for its commitment to having a connected network of agencies across the region that collaborate to refer youths and get them into therapy as soon as possible.
“They exemplify the ideal delivery model of TAPP-C,” said Ryan Betts, manager of public safety education for the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management.
The pair’s consistent presence and dedication has built up and strengthened the Niagara program, he said. And they’ve cultivated a reputation across Ontario as a program to model.
In fact, Pharand and Giovannini, chair of the regional TAPP-C committee, travel across Ontario, educating other, bigger fire departments about the program. Think Peel. Kitchener. Cambridge. Waterloo. Vaughn.
And if a fire service suggests it doesn’t have a big problem with kids who set fires in their area, he counters with this thought. If they create a program that connects agencies, if they look at the stories behind the all dumpster fires, the fires in garbage cans, or other small, nuisance fires, if they dig deeper they will find what he sees. Youth who need help.
Pharand’s passion is to understand the reasons that fuel their actions.
“There’s something underlying their behaviour,” she said.
“The child is not doing well and that’s what they’re telling the adults around them.
“These are good kids. They’re just making poor choices.”
They might be living with an undiagnosed mental illness. They could be facing family problems. Separation. Divorce. Mental and physical abuse or other child welfare issues. They are curious, maybe rebellious. They are impulsive and lack forethought. “Do now, think later,” said Pharand. They likely lack proper parental supervision and guidance. The program ultimately helps the whole family, she said. A rare few are malicious and intend to do harm to people and things.
Fascination with fire is normal. Playing with fire can be devastating. The problem is complex, but simply put it’s about having control of something in their world, said Pharand.
“If a child doesn’t have control in life, they believe they can control fire,” she said.
“They set it and put it out. Their intent doesn’t equal the outcome. They don’t see the cause and effect, that setting a little piece of paper on fire could burn down a building.”
There are kids who lack empathy for others, or themselves.
“They get hurt, or someone else gets hurt, and they don’t care,” said Giovannini.
“They’re secluded. Some feel abandoned. “They are lost in life.” When a youth is referred to the TAPP-C program, they are seen by both Pharand and a fire prevention officer from a department in Niagara. Therapy involves trying to understand what’s troubling them in life and then providing counselling to target the reasons behind the behaviour. The fire department visits the youth’s home at least three times, often more. They check the home for safety problems and ensure there are working smoke alarms and that the family has a fire escape plan. They will also suggest that sources of ignition — barbecue lighters, candles, etc. — are secured to remove temptation and opportunity.
Giovannini works on education, especially to ensure older children and teens understand the consequences of their actions. What happened? What should or could they have done differently? What are the consequences for family, community and themselves? “It’s the huge picture,” he said. Often, Pharand will join Giovannini on the home visits. It gives her better insight into the youth, and sometimes helps a family that otherwise might be hesitant to be visited by only the fire department.
The program is voluntary, although it’s sometimes ordered by the courts.
Giovannini has worked with troubled youth before. His approach is simple. Let the youth speak. Have a voice. He tries to develop a relationship with them.
Tough love is his approach. Firm, fair and consistent. He commands respect, in an eye contact, shake-of-the-hand sort of way. In his words: “This isn’t all about hugs and kisses.”
He doesn’t hesitate to take a hardline. He tells youth straight up: “You can start off with Vince the teacher, or Vince being the enforcer.” It’s their choice. Bottom line: “Setting fires is a criminal activity.”
And yet, his passion is prevention. And helping kids who need help.
“They just need a chance,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to get the whole family help.”