by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 26/97) - Fire chiefs from across the North have been meeting since Saturday in Yellowknife discussing ways to tackle juvenile firesetting.

Between 1990 and 1997, a dozen people have died as a result of children playing with fire. Three occurred this year alone.

"I think it's a very exciting program. I think it's going to enhance life in the North," said Kathryn Youngblut, public information officer for the NWT office of the fire marshal.

Fire chiefs from 10 communities, including Yellowknife, Tulita, Cambridge Bay, Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit, five regional fire marshals, representatives from the departments of Health and Social Services and Education Culture and Employment and the Yk No. 1 school board are participating in the pilot project.

There are two parts to the course: the Juvenile Firesetters Intervention program and Learn Not To Burn program.

Participants learn to identify the two kinds of juvenile firesetters: the curious, whom Youngblut describes as those fascinated with flames, and the pathological firesetter, who repeatedly start fires.

With the help of the program, fire chiefs and others who attended the course can intervene and educate youngsters about the dangers of starting fires.

Several facilitators made presentations during the course as well.

Joe Day, a retired member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department with 35 years experience and Larry Marshburn, a retired member of the Huntington Beach Fire Patrol with 27 years experience, were among them.

They are now life-saving consultants who developed the firesetters' curriculum.

Another instructor was Tim Vandenbrink, who has 20 years experience with Edmonton Emergency Response and is also one of two representatives in Canada with the National Fire Protection Association.

Ken Jones, public education officer with the Surrey, B.C. fire department, shared his thoughts on firesetting, as well.

Youngblut said this course, which is the first of its kind in the NWT, is long overdue, especially considering the NWT's statistics for fire-play incidents.

Between 1990 and 1997, there have been 190 incidents involving children under the age of 11 playing with fire, she said.

Following the course, participants from each community will go back to their homes, review the material, and tailor it to suit community needs.

"It's a tool we want to take back and revise when needed," said Youngblut.

"One of our guest speakers sort of said the Juvenile Firesetter's Program is a process that you crawl, then you walk then you run. We're definitely at the crawl stage, starting it."