Program helps end children's fascination with fire

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ More than 2,000 Oklahoma children have entered a program run by state firefighters aimed at child fire starters. <br/><br/>Established in 1991, operation FireSAFE targets children

Sunday, October 10th 2004, 3:14 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ More than 2,000 Oklahoma children have entered a program run by state firefighters aimed at child fire starters.

Established in 1991, operation FireSAFE targets children who have started a fire or whose parents think they have the potential to start one.

``Fire interest in children is normal, as is curiosity,'' said fire Maj. Tim Adams, program coordinator. ``However, child fireplay is not acceptable behavior.''

Jarrod Snead was just four years old when he started a fire that destroyed his family's home in Moore three years ago. He remembers being in a hall closet playing with his mother's lighter and setting a jacket on fire.

Within minutes, the house went up in flames, and firefighters found Jarrod hiding inside.

Now he says he no longer sets fires after participating in the FireSAFE program and visiting with psychologists and therapists.

``I won't play with the fire anymore because it's bad,'' Jarrod said. ``The firefighters saved me.''

Most children who start fires are between the ages of 3 and 7, and 90 percent are boys, said Adams. They generally come from a supportive family, have good peer relationships and no problems in school, he said.

``There are usually one or two episodes of fireplay, and the child almost always will have feelings of guilt or remorse,'' Adams said.

The program targets all young fire starters. It was created after a 4-year-old boy started a fire that killed firefighters Jeffrey Lindsay, Jimmy Ayers and Benny Zellner in 1989, Adams said.

The child wasn't injured.

Young people from 2 to 17 have been enrolled in the program, which costs the fire department about $83,000 a year to operate, Adams said.

Versions of the program can be found in many Oklahoma City-area fire departments.

In Oklahoma City, 10 firefighters are trained to work in the program, which begins when the children and their families meet fire personnel at a fire prevention office.

A mental health professional reviews the form the family completes and recommends whether counseling is needed, Adams said.

After the interview, the children and their families learn about smoke alarms, exit drills, cause and effect of fires, fire science, the legal impact of setting fires and match and lighter safety.