Fire Department’s Role
| Step 1. |
The Arson Bureau responds to the scene of a fire.
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Under normal circumstances, after the fire department’s suppression equipment has extinguished a fire, fire fighters examine the scene and investigate the cause of the fire. If the fire was not suspicious and no juvenile was involved, the company commanders determine the cause and the Arson Bureau is not involved.
However, if (1) the fire is determined to be incendiary (intentionally set) or (2) the cause is unknown, or (3) the juvenile responsible for the fire is believed to have some deep psychological problems, then an arson investigator is called to the scene.
| Step 2. |
The investigator conducts a full-scene examination. If a juvenile is involved, intent is determined.
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Within 20-30 minutes after being summoned, the arson investigat
or arrives and conducts a standard investigation. The investigation is not slanted toward a cause involving a child, or a set fire, or for that matter, an accidental fire. A full scene
examination is carried out, evidence is collected if necessary, the scene is documented via photographs, and interviews are conducted of the people present. At this stage of the investigation, the investigator may determine that a juvenile was responsible for the fire.
The key question then becomes: “Was this an act where a criminal
intent was present, or was this an act where the fire was set in an activity not normally covered under the criminal statutes?”
In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a child must be seven years old before he or she can be charged with a criminal act. The reality, however, is that most kids are not charged until they are ten years of age or older.
When the investigator determines that the fire was an intentional act, he or she proceeds with the normal criminal process.
| Step 3. |
The investigator initiates a referral to the Bingham Child Guidance Center.
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If the investigator determines that the motivation for the fire was other than criminal, a referral to Bingham is initiated.
A member of the Arson Bureau explains the results of the scene investigation to the child and his or her family or guardian. It is critical at this time to attempt to get the juvenile to admit what happened, as well as to determine why it happened. Also important is the evaluation of the conditions in which the juvenile offender lives, including any indication of neglect or abuse. If there are any concerns, the investigator advises the family to contact the Bingham Child Guidance Center and provides the telephone number. Families and guardians are normally given 24 hours to call Bingham.
| Step 4. |
The investigator opens an investigations file and follows up to make sure the appointment at the Bingham Child Guidance Center has been kept.
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The investigator completes a standard investigative report, documenting all the observations made at the scene as well as the information provided by witnesses. That file is placed in the open investigations section. In the next few days, the investigator follows up to make sure that the juvenile’s family or guardian has set up an appointment at the Bingham Child Guidance Center. If no appointment has been made, the investigator again contacts the family or guardian to resolve the cause for the delays.
If the family should not respond to the Arson Bureau’s request, it may be the opinion of the responsible agencies that a neglect situation exists. The Arson Bureau uses the neglect issue and the possibility of criminal investigations with the parents or guardian in order to gain compliance.
| Step 5. |
The juvenile’s evaluation is filed and entered into a computerized data base for future reference.
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Several weeks later, the Arson Bureau will receive the evaluation of the juvenile fire setter from the appropriate clinician at Bingham. After reading the report, the investigator places a copy of it within the case file. This provides the Arson Bureau with a considerable amount of information about the juvenile, including detailed background information, and suggests future problems the juvenile may face. The investigator then signs off the report and forwards it to the commanding officer for review. The report is then forwarded to the Chief of Investigations.
If there are any unusual referrals which need to be followed up, the Chief of Investigations makes the contacts. If there are none, the case is placed in the closed files. In addition, all individuals seen are entered into a computerized data base. This allows the fire department to maintain a list of those who have had any previous
contacts with the department.
Bingham Child Guidance Center’s Role
| Step 1. |
The Arson Bureau calls the Bingham Child Guidance Center.
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The Arson Bureau or other referral source calls the Bingham Child Guidance Center staff handling juvenile fire setters to report the name of the child or adolescent who has been identified as starting a fire. During the initial contact, the staff person at Bingham records available demographic information and the details of the fire. If the fire was extremely destructive and the Arson Bureau says the child has set previous fires and may again, the process for evaluation is accelerated. If necessary, a child or adolescent may be evaluated through the Kosair Children’s Hospital Emergency Room.
| Step 2. |
BCGC schedules an appointment with the juvenile offender.
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The Arson Bureau instructs the family to contact the staff person at Bingham. If possible, the child or adolescent is seen within a day or two of the call from the Arson Bureau.
When referrals are made from a juvenile court, staff in the Kentucky Cabinet for Families and Children may call or have the family set up a time for the evaluation.
| Step 3. |
The fire setter is evaluated by the Clinical Social Worker.
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The evaluation begins with the fire setter’s parent or guardian filling out a Family Information Questionnaire. (See Appendix)
The evaluation itself commonly last ninety minutes. Sometimes all of the family members are seen together; sometimes the fire setter and any siblings involved in the fire setting activity are seen separately. The adult caretaker is confronted about the high risk situation and is questioned about their ability to prevent future fire setting behavior.
The critical decisions made during the evaluations are:
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The probable influences and motivation for setting the fire
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The child’s desire to start more fires
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His or her danger to themselves and others in the community
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A mental status examination is done. This includes the following information:
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Identifying information and referral source
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The problem which brought the child/adolescent to the Bingham Center
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Developmental history
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Past medical history
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Past psychiatric / legal history
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School and social history
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Family assessment
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Mental status of the child
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Strengths and weaknesses of the child
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Diagnosis for the child
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At the end of the evaluation, a decision is made about whether to hospitalize the
child that day or refer the child for outpatient treatment. A smaller population of children and adolescents receives no referral because this group falls into the category of being “in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people” (eg, being designated as the lookout while “friends” set the fire). The parents of these children are advised to involve the children in organized activities and to get the children a new set of “friends”.
| Step 4. |
The Arson Bureau receives a copy of the evaluation.
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The Arson Bureau, Court, or family pediatrician who referred the fire setter receives a copy of the evaluation. With the evaluation, the Arson Bureau then has a record of the fire setter. Schools who refer juvenile fire setters receive a letter explaining the evaluation. Parents do not usually receive a copy of the evaluation, but one could be provided if appropriately requested.
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In a handful of non-court ordered cases, the families are resistant, procrastinate, refuse to make the appointment, make and then cancel the appointment, or fail to show for the appointment for an evaluation. In these cases the Social Worker calls the Arson Bureau, which calls the family and advises them of their limited alternatives. A very small population keeps the evaluation appointment but refuses the recommended treatment. At that time, both the Arson Bureau and the Child Protective Services are contacted. Child Protective Services usually takes action immediately since the fire setter poses a problem to themselves and others.
What a Psychiatric Evaluation Reveals
The critical decisions made during the evaluation are:
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The probable influences and motivation for setting the fire
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The child’s desire to start more fires
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His or her danger to themselves and others in the community
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A thorough examination, which includes the following information, is done.
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Identifying information and referral source
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the problem which brought the child/adolescent to the clinic
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Developmental history
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Past medical history
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Past psychiatric / legal history
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School and social history
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Family assessment
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Mental status of the child
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Strengths and weaknesses |
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Diagnosis for the child
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