Fire-related Youth Crimes

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Published: 20 February 2007

Fire-related Youth Crimes

Yet another drive to cut the level of fire-related youth crimes - such as arson, hoax calls and attacks on firefighters – has been announced by Fire Minister Angela Smith.

The Department for Communities and Local Government have announced how, through its Action Plan, central government will work with the Chief Fire Officers' Association and other bodies to try to further reduce fire-related deaths and incidents caused by young people.

Action includes the Fire & Rescue Service working with Sure Start family centres to start fire safety education early.

Hoax calls, attacks on firefighters and associated anti-social behaviour are disproportionately committed by children & young people and especially disadvantaged young people:

· Children living in deprived areas are sixteen times more likely to die in a house fire and 31 times more likely to suffer from an arson attack

· Equally, around 40% of all deliberate property and vehicle fires are linked to youth crime and disorder.

This is a situation that the government continues to be committed to tackling.

Fire Minister Angela Smith said:

"Youth fire crime - such as arson - is a real threat both to the communities that are targeted and the children involved in these acts, which can all too often result in deaths.

All communities are potential victims but this is a problem which occurs most frequently in disadvantaged areas.

Today's Action Plan is not only another step in the right direction, but it will also show government's commitment to helping the Fire and Rescue Service to combat anti-social behaviour and reduce the fire risk faced by vulnerable young people."

The Action Plan takes government's efforts one step further and follows on from the four-year National Strategy for the Fire and Rescue Service Working with Children and Young People published in October 2006 by Communities and Local Government.

It sets out how central government will work to help Fire and Rescue authorities achieve their goals of community youth engagement and youth fire crime reduction.

Examples of commitments in the Action Plan are:

· The Youth Justice Board and the Home Office will highlight to their staff the Fire and Rescue Service's expertise in intervention training that educates young people away from continuing as arsonists and similar behaviour

· To raise the profile of fire safety education including the Departments for Education and Skills and Communities and Local Government producing guidance for Sure Start family centres to make all the family aware of fire safety

Research has shown that children and young people are particularly vulnerable to death and injury by fire, especially in deprived households.

It seems that children and young people become attracted to arson or similar anti-social activity because they a combination of lack of supervision, local activities & and worthwhile distractions and the 'wrong crowd' peer pressure.

The 2006 National Strategy for the Fire and Rescue Service Working with Children and Young People:

Recognises that the Fire and Rescue Service already has a strong track record of youth work and has particular strengths in supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged younger members of society and reducing risks to them and to their communities

Puts existing youth work by the Fire and Service on a more formal footing and provides a framework for engaging actively with children and young people to divert them from fire crime and associated anti-social behaviour and to educate them and their families in fire safety skills and responsible citizenship

Examples of projects under the 2006 Strategy include -

· The "XTINGUISH" youth intervention programme in Staffordshire

o This intervention programme for convicted arsonists, which has helped reduce arson re-offending

o The programme teaches fire safety education, but more importantly addresses offending behaviour and cognitive deficit skills

· The Local Intervention Fire Education (LIFE) project in London

o This offers a full-time one-week course on fire prevention, complete with the use of fire-fighting equipment

o Those taking part learn about commitment, team-work, effective communication and punctuality, core skills that can be transferred to the work or training place

o It also provides positive role models, and helps to improve relations between the local community and the Fire and Rescue Service

· In Tyne and Wear, "Project Phoenix"

o Aims to provide an intensive work experience course within the FRS that promotes the positive side of working with a disciplined uniformed team

o The project works with 10-17 year olds who are known to be offending and those at risk

Further information:

2006 National Strategy for the Fire and Rescue Service Working with Children and Young People

Strategy for Children and Young People: 2006-2008 Action Plan

Strategy for Children and Young People: Response to the Consultation Exercise

Youth Training and Diversion in the Fire and Rescue Service: A Good Practice Guide

Crime reduction Arson Toolkit

"XTINGUISH" youth intervention programme

Local Intervention Fire Education (LIFE) project in London