A scheme to stop children starting blazes has dealt with 750 youngsters in two years, some as young as four.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service launched the FIRES scheme in a bid to stamp out deliberate fires and attacks on firefighters.
Because, one presumes, the criminal justice system is just letting the little blighters off with cautions?
Ann Darby, youth development officer at the service, said: “We deal with youngsters who start fires out of curiosity, who make malicious calls at school, and who attack fire personnel.
“Anyone can refer them to us, including schools and parents, and then we put the child on an individual programme after we’ve figured out what they will react best to.”
And I suppose a clip round the ear’s out of the question there?
“We will also use different materials and props, depending on the age of the child and how quickly they are picking up the safety messages.
“A month afterwards we will do a follow-up phonecall to see if there have been any recurring incidents, and then again, eight months later.
“It’s not a quick process, but our figures suggest it’s working really well.”
Why the need for a follow-up phonecall? Are you relying on the kids or their parents to admit to further offences? Because if so, this is surely doomed to fail!
7 comments:
Several years ago, a horrified parent was told of his 10 year old son starting a fire in an empty building which caused quite a bit of damage to the structure, this not being the first time he'd done something like this. As the boy was under the age of criminal knowledge no official action was taken. However, the parent made the boy take all of his games and books, and some of his favourite football shirts, into the garden where his father set fire to them and made his son watch as they burnt. Drastic? Possibly, but the boy never repeated his actions!
Honestly...........give the little bastards a good thwack around the head and a hard kick up the arse, maybe more than one and tell them if they ever start a fire again they can expect worse. Silly me - dreaming again!
SO Fire Brigades go the way of the Old Bill - uniformed social workers. Fuck me!
It all seems to be about "engagement" with da yoof innit?
As has been said above, my own father's reaction to my misdemeanours was an engagement between his boot and my arse. It seemed to work on me
Try burning at the stake?
Can I be a pedant?
"Are you relying on the kids or their parents to admit to further offences? Because if so ..."
The first sentence could be "Are you relying on the kids and not the parents ..." Or the second sentence could read "Because if the former ..."
As a fire hose can throw water further than a kid can throw stones, a badly directed hose would cure some of the vermin of the desire to throw things at the Fire Brigade.
Oh, and you ask about a follow-up phone call. This is modern management whereby you have to demonstrate a result, not just do something. Measurable results and all that crap.
"Drastic? Possibly, but the boy never repeated his actions!"
The kid'll be on the phone to Childline now!
"As has been said above, my own father's reaction to my misdemeanours was an engagement between his boot and my arse. It seemed to work on me"
You had an advantage. You knew who your father was!
"Can I be a pedant?"
Always! And you're quite right.
"... a badly directed hose would cure some of the vermin of the desire to throw things at the Fire Brigade."
I bet that occurs to the firemen. But they daren't.
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