Juvenile Fire Setter Program

West Valley City Juvenile Fire Setter Program

West Valley City has had an active Juvenile Fire Setter Program since 1990. The program has been very successful in deterring children who play with matches from setting additional fires through education, intervention, and mental health support.

Goals

  • Coordinate the intervention process, setting a time and place for an interview with child and parent. Provide the family with fire safety education and continued intervention as needed.
  • Gather and provide information that will assist with concerns about child / youth fire setting.
  • Give assistance to families devastated by losses caused by child / youth-set fires.
  • Promote partnerships between the fire service, law enforcement, medical facilities, mental health agencies, and child health agencies that deal with the consequences of child set fires.
  • Save lives!

Intake

Juveniles are identified and referred to the program by a variety of sources. These sources include but are not limited to: fire service, law enforcement, social services, medical community, mental health, juvenile justice, schools, and parents.

Referral Process

When it is determined that a child has caused a fire, the referral process is triggered and an intake form is created. The form should include at a minimum:

  • Address of the fire
  • Age
  • Brief description of the incident or a copy of the incident report
  • Date of birth of child / children
  • Home address / addresses
  • Name of all children involved and their parent / care giver
  • Phone number / numbers
  • Sex of child

This process can be done over the phone or in person. The form will be then be given to the program manager who will assign a Juvenile Fire Setter counselor who is responsible for making the appointment into the Fire Setter Program. This consists of an interview, educational video, a tour of a fire station, and a referral for additional counseling if the child appears to be more than curiosity fire setting behavior.

Contact Us

If you have a child that is playing with matches or lighters or if you think that your child would benefit from fire safety education, please call the West Valley Fire Prevention Division:
West Valley City Fire Department
Prevention Division
Phone: 801-963-3336